Gadgets are great, in whatever form, and we just cannot get enough of them. Whether it’s the latest smartphone, a lightest, thinnest, most powerful laptop ever created, an amazing watch that James Bond would be proud of or just a simple pair of hair straighteners, we just have to have them.
But gadgets aren’t just restricted to the home, with increasing numbers now looking for the latest tech to kit out their cars. No longer are we simply trying to impress friends with loud stereos, lowered suspension, noisy exhausts and neon lights, we’re actually investing our hard-earned cash into devices which improve the whole driving process, and we have GPS to thank for that.
Over the past decade satellite navigation systems have proved to be as essential to a man with a van or a courier, as well, with their van, helping them to run their businesses. They’ve also helped millions of drivers across the globe to reach their destinations as smoothly and quickly as possible without having to pull over at the side of the road for an argument with your passenger who had the map upside down the whole time, leading you into the middle of a field rather than the main road!
The same theory has been taken and used in tracking devices, which enable drivers and the police to locate stolen vehicles. Using the satellites to pinpoint the location of the car, van or bike, police can attempt to recover the vehicle before it is sold, broken down into scrap or set on fire. Many insurance firms are even offering discounts and other incentives for drivers to fit GPS tracking to their vehicles, as the increased likelihood of recovery means the insurers are less likely to have to pay out.
The GPS trackers are located in subtle areas of the vehicle, somewhere that potential thieves would not be able to see, which acts as a deterrent. If they were clearly visible, the device could be removed. With motorbikes, the trackers are small enough that they do not spoil the aesthetics of the machine, something that a lot of bikers are in favor of as the look of the bike is key.
With vans and trucks, many fleet owners have invested in them to keep an eye on their drivers to ensure that they are both safe and on track. These devices can enable the people back at the depot to monitor their current location in order to give an arrival time estimation to the destination, and also to establish if there could be quicker routes out there which they could use in the future.
Away from motoring, a number of pastimes make use of GPS systems, such as cycling and walking. Many cyclists head off into the countryside or for a ride through woodland and it is easy to get lost. Using GPS signals they can navigate their way back to civilization. Walkers can do the same, which has proved to be highly beneficial. Many walkers get lost when the weather changes and they lose their bearings, but GPS can help them to get back to the right path or to somewhere where they can hide from the elements.
Matt Rawlings is a UK-based writer who specialises in technology and electronic devices. With a keen interest in getting the best deals and providing consumer advice, Matt has been creating great content for many years
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