GPS Slowly Changing How Things Are Done

Hemos forwarded me a link to a story at Fast Company about how GPS is changing the way people do business. Several good examples are used, from farmers in Alabama to anti-theft devices. Some notes on GPS' military origins as well. Also worth noting is how GPS, like computers, wasn't adopted overnight, but rather over time as applications were found.

No really!

[I Like Swords!!!]

"I'm working late tonight, don't wait up..."

"Oh really? Then how come your cell phone is in Joe's Tavern with your secretary's pager bobbing over your coordinates?"

"...*dialtone*..."

..err, I meant to say, cool!

Could Help SCO

[Nom du Keyboard]

Maybe SCO can use GPS to locate *nix code in Linux. So far they sure don't seem to have found much of it otherwise.

Re:No really!

[Anonymous Coward]

+1 bobbing

Re:Love My GPS!

[product byproduct]

With the GPS we just punch in the address of the next house and off we go.

People like you are killing the taxicab industry.

Re:No really!

[bsharitt]

How many Slashdotters do you think have to worry about that?

Re:Someone Help US???

[Anonymous Coward]

It wouldn't help because there are still Bathe party loyalists using GPS jammers they bought from, uuh, Trinidad and Tobago. Yeah, that's the ticket. I knew you smart guys would understand.

-Rummy

Re:Geocaching

[Timesprout]

Just as a word of warning for inexperienced geo cachers there are a few things you should not put in your cache or the results might not be quite what you intended (unless you like being visited by lots of military grade explosive)

1. Weapons of mass destruction
2. Plans for gas centrifuge machines
3. Middle aged paunchy men answering to the name Saddam
4. Middle aged bearded men answering to the name Osama
5. Any music recordings for which you cannot prove ownership
6. Modded X-Boxes
7. MS Source code

Re:Why post anonymously then

[Timesprout]

which is a great boon to indoor GPS

Fantastic !! I will always be able to locate the TV remote no matter where it hides on me. Now wheres that fscking GPS receiver.....

Worth noting?

[pixelgeek]

Also worth noting is how GPS, like computers, wasn't adopted overnight, but rather over time as applications were found.

I hate to sound pessimistic but since when is something this glaringly obvious considered "worth noting"?

Or maybe, given the topic, my pessimistic little note should be restated to ask how accurate would your GPS unit have to be to measure the size of the rock you'd have to be living under to not know that GPS wasn't adopted overnight?

Goodness. I'm starting to sound as biter as those people who post about the newsworthiness of new articles.

Re:color moving map 12 channel magellan GPS less $

[Anonymous Coward]

SPAM much?

Now we're modding spam up?! My faith in intelligent moderators is now validated.

Re:Boy, I Wish GPS Was Around During WW2

[Anonymous Coward]

Look, if it hadn't been for France bailing your asses out 250 years ago, you'd have continued to have your "country" run by some unelected idiot called George whose only qualification to the job was that his father did it.

Hmmm.... let's look at today

unelected? check

idiot? check

called George? check

his father did it? check

Looks like we need France's help once again. LIBERATE US, FRANCE!

Re:Love My GPS!

[NanoGator]

"The turn-by-turn routing has been a huge help. "

My step mom has that feature built in too. My dad says the command recognition's a little off, tho.

Re:Could Help SCO

[NanoGator]

"Maybe SCO can use GPS to locate *nix code in Linux. So far they sure don't seem to have found much of it otherwise. "

Give the inspectors more time!!

Re:When I can track my own stolen car

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds to me you should invest in a garage door.

Re:No really!

[marko123]

"Merkin lingo?" I didn't know fake pubic hair could talk.
Click here for definition [urbandictionary.com]

Re:When I can track my own stolen car

[HeghmoH]

After I read the parent post, but before I read yours, I was thinking along very similar lines. However, I was thinking of setting it up so that your computer would simply wait passively for a phone call on the line. Then if it gets a call, it hooks you up to the GPS reciever and you can track it. This avoids the problem of continuous outgoing messages (and associated charges). Of course I haven't actually built the system. So I'm just curious, what made you decide to do it the way you did it?

Re:No really!

[PD]

My cell phone is nailed to my desk. It's definitely not a mobile phone.

Re:Imagine if GPS were made by a corporation...

[Anonymous Coward]

Unless you took a flight there and used your GPS.