GPS Integrated Mobile Phones

By Stewart M. Russell


GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It is a technology that is used to track down people and things. When they are used in mobile phones it provides a service that can be highly effective in the event of an emergency. Some brands of mobile phones have integrated this technology in their products. Phones like the Nokia 6110 Navigator, several models of Blackberry and the Nokia N95 all have this technology on board their phones.

Currently, GPS functionality is only available in sophisticated and highly priced mobile handsets. But, because the demand for GP-integrated mobile phones keep increasing, more affordable, smarter and appealing GPS mobiles will be in the market soon. The majority of mobile phone manufacturers are investing heavy amounts to improve on GPS technology.

Currently, navigation is the main use of GPS, but that's not what's interesting the investors. While people who refuse to use paper-based maps rely on GPS for accurately pinpointing locations, the ultimate use of GPS technology will be using it to deliver location-specific services. The software used with the GPS satellite links will be able to show a particular person's exact location, allowing emergency services, businesses and other individuals to track down the person, whenever needed.

This might seem like the privacy of individuals will be in jeopardy but the ultimate goal of GPS technology is safety and helping the services industry. Typically the government will limit the use of GPS technology in the private sector. This is necessary to stop anyone from gathering information on individuals without that person's permission.

GPS still suffers from the interference of tall buildings and areas that are under development. Technology is working to eliminate this problem. Currently, GPS is able to locate specific areas and roads by locating the person using a GPS-enabled phone. Phones that have GPS functioning are able to get information based on the individual locations.

In the future, GPS mobile phones will be connected with social networking sites, allowing the two parties to communicate in real-time. So, the sites can be updated as and when things happen in one place.

MySpace and Facebook have already taken measures to integrate the technology, by introducing the mobile version of their sites. The primary aim in this integration is to allow user generated content to be uploaded efficiently and conveniently from where the user is.

GPS is a great and modern way to keep track of elderly relatives, children, important shipping activity etc, but the technology has the potential to become an annoyance to everyday life. This is mainly due to one factor - unethical marketing practices, such as targeted location-specific advertisements, can be used on GPS mobile phone users.

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