GPS Cell Phone

Global Positioning System (GPS) was funded, developed and controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense. Since the late seventies, GPS has become an important aid to navigation around the world. Originally designed for the U.S. military, GPS became publicly available years later and is now regarded as an important element in lots of consumer products.

How does GPS work? Well, basically there are three elements that make everything work: satellites, earth monitoring stations and receivers (ex: cell phone, telephone cellular). GPS provides specially coded satellite signals that can be processed in a GPS receiver so the receiver to compute position, velocity and time.

Today, most mobile phones (telefone celular) are not limited to just carry on a conversation. Features like MP3 player, digital camera and video camera have all become standard in the latest mobile phone models. It is expected that the GPS feature will soon be added to this list and it will allow to trace a cell phone user.

The capability of tracing a cell phone user becomes important in emergency situations, like a car crash, using the 911 emergency phone call, where every minute may be a matter of life or death. In situation like this, the GPS system can pinpoint the exact location of the accident, as emergency services to be quickly dispatched.

It is important to mention that so far most GPS system in cell phone (telefone cellular) is restricted to tracking information. However, you can have navigation capabilities through the use of full screen mobile phone / PDA combos with map displays and other mobile phone accessories and third party paid services. If you do not wish to subscribe to a monthly subscription service, he can make use of one-time-paid-only software programs that will provide some of the navigation options.

Although there are many benefits in using GPS cell phones (telefone cellular), there are some people who are concerned about the violation of privacy. Since Congress has not authorized location tracking without actual evidence of wrongdoing, there have been court hearings which have not approved the requests of government agencies in obtaining the cell phone GPS tracking information for suspects or ordinary citizens.

This privacy matter has made some progress in the direction of the mobile phone user `s rights, since there are some laws that have been passed which guarantees that GPS cell phone users will have some protection against the release of the tracking information, with the exception of 911 emergency phone calls (telefone cellular). It is expected that these laws will ensure that the benefits of GPS in mobile phones will be enjoyed by all, without violating someone `s privacy.

Sometimes when there is a technological innovation, there are also some concerns about privacy or some rights infringements. But no matter how big a worry is it seems that a compromise will always be reached, so that new technologies will take their places in everyone `s life. After all, we all live in a globalized consumer world. By the way, have you already got your GPS cell phone?