MIS750 (3) - GPS

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Wikipedia : space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.

With today mobile technology neatly in the palm of your hand, apps such as maps google and waze has become essential for knowing where your are and how you going to to some where else from one point. All thanks to technological system called Global Positioning System  or GPS. 
In the simplest of term, GPS answers five questions simultaneously:

1. "Where am I?"
2. "Where am I going?"
3. "Where are you?"
4. "What's the best way to get there?
5. "When will I get there?"

But, this technology is used beyond far more that usually pick up favourite cafe and dining place. How far beyond you wonder? imagine this for some diverse GPS function

• innesota scientists use GPS to study movements and feeding habits of deer.
• Surveyors used GPS to measure how the buildings shifted after the bombing in Oklahoma City.
• GPS help settle property disputes between land owners.
• Marine archaeologists use GPS to guide research vessels hunting for shipwrecks.
• GPS data has revealed that Mt. Everest is getting taller!

Currently, if we were to use maps google, it accuracy in showing where your currently are far from perfect. But this is about to change with findings by  engineers at the University of Texas at Austin have found a way to fit such small antenna boost by software to give GPS accuracy into minor gap of centimeter! Such breakthrough could prove the advancement of new tool called virtual reality. Although there still many hiccup need to be amend before it can fully adapt with current mobile technology, new advancement of technology do give new whole of awesomeness.

resources:-

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/global.html

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a15420/super-accurate-gps-for-vr/