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NEWS ABOUT: GPS

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Supreme Court Bans Warrantless GPS Tracking

Obama administration had argued that tracking cars didn't constitute a search

(Newser) - The Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that the government must obtain a warrant before secretly affixing a GPS tracking device to a suspect's car. The case stemmed from an incident in which the FBI placed a tracker on a DC drug dealer's car, with the Obama administration arguing... More »

China Debuts GPS Alternative

System would help it in military conflict with US

(Newser) - China isn’t depending on America’s Global Positioning System anymore—a development that could have military implications. The Beidou Navigation Satellite System went live today, broadcasting directions to China and its “surrounding area,” the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. has announced. Currently comprised of 10 satellites,... More »

General: White House Pressed Me to Alter Testimony

...On a matter involving Democrat donor

(Newser) - Air Force Gen. William Shelton dropped an uncomfortable bombshell in his Congressional testimony yesterday, accusing the Obama administration of asking him to soften his remarks about a company that happens to be owned by a Democratic donor’s investment fund. The company, LightSquared, is trying to build a nationwide wireless... More »

Solar Storm to Hit Earth This Week

Could impact communications, GPS

(Newser) - If your GPS stops working in the next few days, blame solar storms. Following three large explosions from the sun recently, US government scientists are expecting a larger solar event this week—and warn that satellite, telecommunications, and electric equipment, including GPS, could be disrupted. "The magnetic storm that... More »

New Garmin GPS Voices: Yoda, Vader

'Star Wars' sound effects, music included too

(Newser) - Good news for those of you who are sick of the generic voice dictating directions from your Garmin GPS: Now you can have Yoda or Darth Vader order you around instead. The Star Wars voices can be downloaded for $12.99 each on Garmin's website , and the best part... More »

Woman Tracks Stolen iPad, Can't Convince Cops to Help

She found the exact house where it turned up with app, to no avail

(Newser) - There's an app for pretty much everything—except cutting through bureaucracy. A woman who mistakenly left her iPad on a plane was able to track the whereabouts of the device, but couldn't convince authorities to follow up on it, reports the Syracuse Post-Standard , via the Consumerist . The woman... More »

Supreme Court to Review Warrantless GPS Tracking

Justice take case on whether police need warrant to track people

(AP) - The Supreme Court will weigh in on an important privacy issue for the digital age, whether the police need a warrant before using a global positioning system device to track a suspect's movements. The justices said today they will hear the Obama administration's appeal of a court ruling... More »

GPS Leads Driver Into Lake

Now Michael Scott isn't the only one

(Newser) - Are we drowning in new technology? A young woman mistakenly followed her rental car's GPS directions down a boat ramp in Bellevue, Washington. The driver apparently thought she was on a road when she crashed her SUV into the water at Mercer Slough Nature Park, reports KATU.com . One... More »

New Wireless Internet Network Threatens GPS

GPS critical for air traffic control, car navigation, and more

(Newser) - GPS and wireless Internet are two of the most-loved and most important tech advances of our time—but now a clash of frequencies is threatening a high-tech showdown. LightSquared is developing a $14 billion, 40,000-transmitter high-speed wireless Internet network, but that system bumps right up against GPS operating frequencies,... More »

Man Gets Stolen Truck Back Thanks to ... His iPhone

Owner left iPhone on the front seat, and used its GPS app to track the car

(AP) - An iPhone left on the front seat of a stolen truck led to the vehicle's return—and the capture of a burglar suspected of multiple auto break-ins in Colorado Springs. Joshua Mitzelfelt, 29, allegedly stole a truck left unattended and running in a driveway yesterday morning. He was apprehended... More »

TomTom Sold Data to Cops, Who Set Up Speed Traps

Company promises to improve data sharing rules

(Newser) - GPS maker TomTom is enduring a wave of negative publicity after data it collected on drivers ended up in the hands of Dutch police, who used it to set up speed traps, reports Consumer Reports . The company promises to improve its data-sharing polices and says this kind of thing won'... More »

Google Hit With Class Action Suit Over Android Tracking

Women say software put them in danger

(Newser) - A pair of Michigan women have filed a $50 million class action lawsuit against Google over the revelation that Android phones store data on their users’ locations and transmit that information to Google. This tracking function puts “users at serious risk of privacy invasions, including stalking,” their lawyer... More »

Apple: Relax, We Aren’t Tracking You...

...But there are a few bugs in the iPhone's location software

(Newser) - Apple finally responded to the accusations that it was tracking iPhone users’ locations today, saying it “has never done so and has no plans to ever do so.” In a statement, which you can read on TechCrunch , the company explained that it was actually keeping a log not... More »

Android Is Tracking You, Too

And sending your location back to Google a few times each hour

(Newser) - Apple isn’t the only one tracking its users’ every move . Google’s Android OS does something very similar, a security analyst has found. The HTC Android phone he tested collected data on its current location every few seconds, transmitting it to Google several times an hour, the analyst tells... More »

Solar Storms Could Produce 'Global Katrina'

Solar flare could knock out GPS, other satellites, scientists warn

(Newser) - There’s a very good chance that sometime in the not-so-distant future, a severe solar storm could unleash an electromagnetic pulse on Earth, knocking out satellites, grounding air travel, and disrupting power grids around the world, scientists warned at an American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting. The UK’... More »

Girl Killed as Parents Follow GPS Directions

They turned right as instructed, despite road signs

(Newser) - A GPS tragedy in Britain: A 4-year-old girl was killed when her parents followed instructions that contradicted road signs, the BBC reports. Ariana Bardhaj died from multiple injuries after her parents made an illegal right turn into traffic. "They were following a sat-nav and it told them to turn... More »

Military: Don't Use Facebook Places in War Zones

Commanders fear social media could reveal locations to the enemy

(Newser) - The Air Force is warning personnel that while geolocation features like Facebook Places or Foursquare may be a great way to let your buddies know where you're having lunch, you shouldn't use them in war zones. "Careless use of these services by airmen can have devastating operations security and... More »

Cops Don't Need Warrant to Track Cars With GPS

'1984 is here at last,' says dissenting judge

(Newser) - Police can secretly track your movements with a GPS device attached to your car, and come into your driveway in the middle of the night to install it—all without a warrant, a federal court has ruled. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has twice let stand the conviction of... More »

Technology Makes Us Really Bad Campers

You'd think that GPS would help, but it may not

(Newser) - Technology appears to be making some people a lot stupider when it comes to the great outdoors. Thanks to GPS, cell phones, and emergency devices, more people are heading into the wild ill-equipped…then, at best, wasting rangers’ time with their problems—or, at worst, getting injured or killed. The... More »

Man Writes Massive Message Across US Via GPS

Google Earth message says, 'Read Ayn Rand'

(Newser) - An ambitious man drove more 12,000 miles and through 30 states to write a message on the globe he feels the world should know: "Read Ayn Rand." Following a planned route, Nick Newcomen traced his path on a GPS logger, turning it on to write letters and... More »

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