GPS – Global Positioning Systems – New Zealand

Walk along a bustling urban street today and thousands of people are chatting on their cellular phones, using the latest technology to check everything from stock quotes to walking directions. Increasingly, you only have to enter your destination point because your phone knows exactly where you are. In fact, GPS,, or Global Positioning System, capabilities are a natural evolution of cellular technology.

Cellular technology is based on a network of towers which transmit signals. Phones without GPS enabled can still approximate your location via triangulation, but with GPS features you can pinpoint exactly where you are – enabling an entirely new array of software options from real-time exact directions to social proximity features. Recently developed software uses aggregated GPS-data to help cellular users make smart decisions about traffic routes, purchasing decisions and social gatherings. One example of GPS-enabled software is a city guide that allows you to meet like-minded individuals near you – no longer is the stranger in the coffee shop remote when you can read a brief profile in advance of striking up a conversation. More practically, you can now get turn-by-turn directions that are updated in real-time with construction information, as well as newly created routes and detours. As cellular speeds increase with the proliferation of 3G networks and the advent of next-generation WiMax networks, the capabilities of cellular GPS phones will only increase.

With a GPS chip, your phone no longer has to rely upon arranged cellular towers but instead directly communicates with orbiting satellites in real time. There are over 20 GPS satellites in orbit currently, circling the globe and constantly beaming data to GPS-enabled devices. In order to pinpoint your location, the satellites use a method called trilateration which creates a virtual 3D model map that will identify where you are. In order for this technology to work properly, your GPS-enabled phone must be able to transmit and receive satellite data, requiring a clear connection to the sky. New software solutions have been developed to help work around any visibility issues. In particular, enhanced cellular GPS utilises real-time signal strength and traditional triangulation data to more quickly hone in on your position; this technology allows for GPS to activate more quickly indoors and in cases where the sky is not clearly visible. While most phones are capable of receiving GPS signals, what sets newer models such as the iPhone and other smart phones apart is the GPS-enabled software which translates raw positioning data into usable information on the ground. This technology has helped enable emergency 911 services to locate calls placed via cell phones, improving response time and saving many lives.

The capabilities of GPS-enabled phones are still evolving, and get more exciting as software applications improve and expand. Upcoming cellular platforms such as Windows 7 and Google Android plan to feature innovative uses of satellite technology as a core part of their operating systems. Just as cell phones themselves became ubiquitous, nearly every cellular phone today has positioning capabilities and a software suite that takes advantage of the technology.