History of GPS Technology

• GPS technology was initially developed for navigation of large vessels. The design was intended to answer national defense needs and military applications. The technology proved useful in modern warfare. If you use a GPS vehicle navigation device, then you are surely familiar with features such as voice-guided navigation, route re-calculating and automatic routing, which aid you in finding your intended travel destination. The United States is the world leader in GPS technology. It spent more than $12 billion to place 24 radio transmitting satellites into geosynchronous orbits to provide the base for the system. GPS technology has already changed many human activities that require better orientation and positioning.
  
  

How Does it Work?

• A GPS navigation device receives signals from the satellite system to determine the location of the particular unit. GPS systems can provide latitude and longitude data and some may also calculate the altitude above sea level. Pasted electronically over maps, it may show the position of your GPS unit on a road or street, which makes it useful in driving.
  
  GPS satellites constantly transmit two low level radio signals, designated L1 and L2. Civilian GPS uses the L1 frequency of 1575.42 MHz in the UHF band. The big names in the industry are Garmin, Magellan, Jensen and Tomtom. As of 2010, most of the devices are manufactured in China and Taiwan.
  
  With the development of this technology, some will even use a GPS based device to spy on others. While this was not the original intended use, the same concept can be implemented in the protection of moving property such as cars to locate them if they are stolen. GPS tracking technology is now even enabled in some cell phones, so they can be tracked and located at any time.
  
  

Tracking with GPS

• GPS tracking, which is a spinoff from the original use of the technology, has become increasingly popular. Due to its high cost in the past, it was out of reach for everyday´s consumer. Due to the drop in the price of systems, just about anyone can use GPS tracking for a variety of different applications, in which the human imagination is the limit.
  
  

Legal and Moral Consideration

• There is a rising controversy over covert use of this relatively new technology. Ethical scholars, privacy advocates, law enforcement, and teens and parents are at odds.
  
  A court ruling in California defined this kind of tracking as legal. Eight other western states joined this approach. The U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia Circuit, took a different view, ruling GPS spying illegal. The issue is expected to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.