We hear a lot about GPS. Phrases like GPS satellite, GPS tracker, etc. have integrated into our daily lives. The question here is, ‘what is GPS?’. The follow-up question is, ‘how does GPS work?’ There can be many other questions like these. In this write-up, we are going to answer such questions. Are you ready to learn? We know you are ready to learn because you are awesome! Let us begin!

What is GPS?

GPS is an abbreviation. It stands for Global Positioning System. It is one mouthful of a name, but it is quite simple in concept. Unfortunately, it is nearly rocket science when it comes to implementation. The good news here is that we do not have to worry about its implementation. We are the end users.

GPS is responsible for giving us a navigation system based on satellites. It gives information on time and provides a location. GPS works in all-weather conditions. Why? It is because the satellite is in space outside the atmosphere of our Earth.

GPS satellites can send location and time information anywhere near Earth or on Earth. There is a condition to fulfill for the information transaction to succeed.

“The location with which the information transaction will take places must be in direct line of sight of not one but at least four satellites.”

GPS is a critical tool for military, but it also finds some critical usage in both civilian and commercial fields.

How GPS Works?

Heads up! This segment that deals with the ‘how’ is going to be technical, but stay with us. We are going to make it as simple as possible.

Several steps need to work in tandem for the GPS to work correctly. Those steps are:

Number and position of satellites

24 satellites make up a Global Positioning System. Of these 24 satellites, 21 are known as GPS satellites while the remaining three are called spare satellites. These satellites are 2,000 kilometers above the surface of Earth. The satellites continuously orbit our planet.

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Nokia Maps add 360 Cities

360 Cities is the large collection of panoramic photos, each one shot by a network of expert panoramic photographers from around the world.

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Let us start by asking a simple question. Why do you want to track a mobile phone? There can be some reasons like:

• You lose your phone, or some thief steals it. You will want to track it.
• You want to track your children or loved ones for their safety.
• You want to catch hold of your spouse’s infidelity.
• You want to ensure that your employee does not involve into business espionage.

You may have many more reasons, but we think that the four reasons above are enough.

But, did you know that tracking someone’s phone with explicit written consent from that person is illegal? So, you should be careful. However, if you want to ensure that you can easily track your phone, you are free to install any GPS mobile tracker app you want. No one will tell you anything. Whatever the reason be, we will give you a list of best GPS mobile tracker apps you can get.

Let us start.

Best GPS Mobile Tracker Apps

Before we start, we will like to say that there are two options for you. You can go for free mobile tracking apps, or you can go for premium or paid GPS mobile tracker apps. We will start with the free one.

Free apps

1. GadgetCouncil Tracker: GadgetCouncil is a website which has a mobile tracker tool and also has an Android app. It is free. You can use the web application to get a fair idea of the approximate location of your mobile device. GadgetCouncil’s mobile tracker application is best in case you lose your phone or misplace it and want to get an approximate location without spending any money. It can also come in handy if someone steals your phone. Using this web application can help you to narrow down on an area where your phone is present. It can also tell you the last position where your phone went (if someone steals it). That’s all you can achieve with this web application.

While it may not sound that robust and perfect, consider this – if someone steals your phone, you can use the information from this web application to let the police personnel know. It will help the police to narrow down on the location of the thief.

We repeat – GadgetCouncil mobile tracker cannot track anything other than the location, which too may not be accurate. You cannot track SMS, calls, photos, and videos, etc. For that, you will need premium software/apps that you need to install on your phone.

2. Glympse: Glympse is one rare app that uses GPS to give you powerful tracking features. It is free. Just like GadgetCouncil, all that Glympse will do is track location. It cannot track calls or SMS or media files present in the phone. Glympse has real-time monitoring capabilities as it keeps running in the background of the phone, maintaining a very active radar connection. The app also allows for real-time navigation. So, if you are in someplace new, you can use the app to navigate around with ease. One problem (that is not a problem) is that only those people with whom you share your information can track you.

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Time synchronized in GPS satellites providing Stratum 1 accuracy to atomic clock.
Uses 8 channel Trimble receiver.
WindowsXP, serial interface or telnet – Discovery software included for WinXP.
Software to configure and monitor the device over Ethernet.

– NTP Reference for ethernet LANs in box self-contained
– NTP query, broadcast modes, multicast
– Standalone or rackmountable (shown)
– Battery backed real time clock circuit
– User assignable network configuration (or DHCP)
– Assignable configuration network

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The Archos 5 has a 5″ display best for watching the hours of video it can store and it also make the Archos a best in-car navigation devices. Now the Archos five is the best Android Tablets with GPS, especially when paired with the in car GPS-cradle. This cellphone (143 x 79 x 10.5 mm).

ARCHOS 5 – Best Android Tablets with GPS

Tablets with GPS and cellphone function. With 3G the cost can be $185 in bulk. They also use the Telechips ARM Cortex-A8 for $129 without 3G. And they’ll use the next Marvell processor next month and Infotmic also.

Tablets with GPS and cellphone function.

Best of Shenzhen: $87 Android 3.5″ capacitive phone, MTK6516 FG8

Here are the specs for this Mediatek MTK6516 ARM9 Based so-called FG8 Android phone:

MTK6516 ARM9 460Mhz + 260Mhz DSP (that can do certain video playback and other UI acceleration)
Froyo Android 2.2 supported
Dual-SIM Card slots GSM Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3.5′ Capacitive HVGA 480×320 screen
256MB RAM
works worldwide on GSM/GPRS/EDGA (no 3G HSDPA data speeds though)
WiFi, AGPS, FM, Bluetooth A2DP, Mp4 playback support claimed, 2Mpix Camera, Microphone, MicroSD card slot (up to 32GB), 3-4 hours talk time and 200 hours standby time claimed (I haven’t tested yet).

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Vehicle theft used to be pretty simple. Break in, hotwire the engine, and joyride out of town. Keep the vehicle or sell it to make some quick cash. These days, however, would-be thieves may be in for a surprise if the vehicle they’ve stolen has a GPS vehicle tracking device installed.

Both large companies and individuals have wised up to the fact that GPS tracking can be the best possible investment when trying to protect vehicles from theft or misuse. By sending a signal from the GPS transmitter inside the vehicle to a home or office computer, the device provides constant monitoring capabilities and gives owners the knowledge they need to protect their fleet vehicles or privately owned cars and trucks.

How effective is GPS vehicle tracking for the average business? Take the case of Texas company Airtronics Air Conditioning and Heating. When a company vehicle turned up missing, employees simply had to follow the trail provided by the Rocky Mountain Tracking GPS vehicle tracking device installed earlier to lead authorities straight to the thief. The surprised driver was taken into custody and the $20,000 vehicle returned to Airtronics.

If even one $20,000 vehicle theft can be prevented over the course of a year, the investment made into GPS tracking will be well worth it. Even if no one tries to steal an expensive truck, though, GPS vehicle tracking can provide invaluable information such as employee activity on the clock, speed, driving habits such as leaving the car idling over a lunch break, and personal stops made on company time. They can also help businesses determine what routes their drivers take to and from each job with the goal of helping them drive the shortest distance to each job site, effectively saving thousands of dollars in fuel costs over time.

In today’s economy, GPS vehicle tracking can give businesses an edge over competitors by helping them shorten response time and arrive at client locations on time without calling for directions. Customers appreciate knowing that a business takes its responsibility seriously, and the positive experience gained with the help of GPS tracking could be enough to keep that customer for life.

On the other side of the coin, protecting vehicles from theft may be one of the best ways to save money over the long run for budget-conscious companies. Investing time and resources into GPS vehicle tracking capabilities for the company fleet may be the best decision a business can make during a time when economic responsibility must rule the day.

Day and night, police officers defend the public against threats to order, safety, and decency. Knowing that an officer routinely patrols your neighborhood or the streets around your workplace provides a sense of well-being and an assurance that someone watches and follows up on any suspicious activity taking place. But what if that officer sat in his car all night instead of monitoring his assigned route? What if he reported that he performed his duty, but in fact did not? And what if the body of your loved one went unnoticed and unreported because that police officer failed in the performance of his duty?

That’s exactly what happened to a family in Cleveland. When suspicions were aroused that two officers were not doing the work they reported, their superiors took a look at records from a GPS tracking device installed on their car. The device showed that not only did the officers remain stationary for most of their shift, but also that their response to a report of a body proved unsatisfactory. Their assessment of a woman’s body as a deer left a family without information for longer than necessary.

While most police cars have a GPS tracking device installed, not only departments use the information gained from those devices effectively. With the information received from the device, someone can monitor not only the location but also the speed and direction of each car on the road and can determine whether a car sits idle for too long or does not complete its assigned route. With this knowledge, department personnel can keep officers accountable to their superiors and to the taxpayers for performing the duties expected of them to keep citizens safe.

Many companies install a GPS tracking device in each fleet vehicle so that they can monitor their employees’ movements throughout the day as well as determine whether they operate vehicles efficiently. Idle time, speed and routes can all be monitored by the GPS tracking device and can make a difference in fuel consumption. Smart driving can save a company thousands of dollars each year in fuel costs over less efficient vehicle operation.

While most employees on the police force and in other job situations are honest workers, the few bad apples make GPS tracking a good idea for all employers. Even one mistake like the one made by the Cleveland police officers is cause for concern on the part of superiors and citizens. With GPS tracking, managers can make sure repeat incidents don’t occur and that employees are performing the jobs expected of them.