GPS is great!
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:05 am
I've had my previous GPS system / navigation device for close to 5 yrs but decided to update it today. Got myself a new one which has a very clever traffic information system. It's outfitted with an internal SIM card, just like a mobile phone. The GPS manufacturer has struck a deal with a large mobile telecommunications provider. The location of every cellphone that is switched on is known, because it communicates to the nearest broadcast point (of which there are many). A bunch of cars standing still thus creates a heap of immobile cellphones stuck on a stretch of road. The provider continuously sends information on the whereabouts of their SIM cards to the GPS manufacturer, who in turn sends it on to the mobile GPS system in my car, using its internal SIM card. It does that once every 3 minutes, 24*7. This allows you to see where the traffic jams are, even in the middle of a city or on secondary roads. It is independent of detection systems that are built in the roads (and broadcast through TMC), which are usually found only in highways (in Europe, at least), though it receives that information as well and combines it with the cellphone data
I had my doubts about the accuracy of this method so before buying I spent a month or two using this website, which is based on it. I was impressed enough to go out and buy it, because it is really accurate. When I drove home yesterday afternoon, there were a couple of places where I had to slow down a bit because traffic congested somewhat. The device knew this way before I did and every time a small balloon popped up that said something like "There is a 1-minute delay here". For larger delays, the system will automatically offer a faster route. And when it calculates a route, it will NOT generate the same travel plan every time. The route will depend on the moment on which you travel, which is referenced against a HUGE database of average speeds at a stretch of road at a particular time. Because of the built-in SIM card, it can do all that on the fly, in the car.
This thing is incredible. It displays the maximum speed at the location you happen to be at, as well as your speed. It shows speed trap locations. It connects to Google if you need a restaurant, an ATM machine, etc. Because it connects, it doesn't need a static database that's basically a snapshot of how things were when you bought it. It also allows users to add info to the maps, such as a new speed trap, and share that info with everyone else in a fast and clever way, which allows for automatic updates to the device.
Sometimes, advances in technology are great
.
I had my doubts about the accuracy of this method so before buying I spent a month or two using this website, which is based on it. I was impressed enough to go out and buy it, because it is really accurate. When I drove home yesterday afternoon, there were a couple of places where I had to slow down a bit because traffic congested somewhat. The device knew this way before I did and every time a small balloon popped up that said something like "There is a 1-minute delay here". For larger delays, the system will automatically offer a faster route. And when it calculates a route, it will NOT generate the same travel plan every time. The route will depend on the moment on which you travel, which is referenced against a HUGE database of average speeds at a stretch of road at a particular time. Because of the built-in SIM card, it can do all that on the fly, in the car.
This thing is incredible. It displays the maximum speed at the location you happen to be at, as well as your speed. It shows speed trap locations. It connects to Google if you need a restaurant, an ATM machine, etc. Because it connects, it doesn't need a static database that's basically a snapshot of how things were when you bought it. It also allows users to add info to the maps, such as a new speed trap, and share that info with everyone else in a fast and clever way, which allows for automatic updates to the device.
Sometimes, advances in technology are great
.
