GPS, the Global Positioning System

GPS is revolutionizing the way we interact with our surrounding environment. From location aware photography (referred to as "geotagging") to a simple game of tag with complete strangers, GPS has taken the world by storm since its inception in 1993. No longer are we bound to simple driving directions and even these directions, once static and (something here), are becoming more and more dynamic with each new iteration of GPS devices. Looking for directions to grandma's house? Got it! Want to stop off at Aunt Betty's house on the way? No problem, GPS units these days can dynamically route and reroute the best possible means to get there. Traffic a little heavy on the Interstate highway? Units now have the ability account for these inconveniences to keep you buzzing along without interruption.

GPS, which stands for global positioning system, has come a long way and the technology has matured enough so that we are now given derivative information such as our current direction and speed, in addition to our standard driving directions. GPS is not limited to these simple directions, though, and it is commonly used in land surveillance and for various scientific purposes including earthquake monitoring. The United States Department of Defense developed the concept of satellite navigation and the entire system is currently maintained by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing. The system uses the microwave signals sent out from between 24 and 32 Medium Earth Orbit satellites, and through precise time and mathematical calculations, we are able to use the system to accurately locate and monitor various positions.

When GPS was first unrolled by the US government, it had a built in feature that was known as "Selective Availability". This feature automatically inserted errors into the civilian band of GPS, effectively making it only accurate to within 10 meters horizontally and 30 meter vertically. The primary reason behind this was to prevent enemies from being able to utilize the system in a way that would be harmful to the US or its allies. US president Bill Clinton abolished the unnecessary limitation and GPS systems are now rated, on the civilian level, to between 5 and 15 meters. This has allowed the evolution of GPS to pick up its pace as more and more people find useful (or just plain fun) applications for the technology.

GPS has come a long way over the years and new features are currently being added to the system every year. Due its integration into most new mobile devices, developers have now been given the ability to program new and exciting applications that take advantage of the location-aware technology. It may seem trivial to use this advanced of technology to play something as simple as tag with one and other, but it is these kinds of utilization that lead to the development of completely new technologies. GPS has proven itself to be infinitely valuable to both government and the common citizen and it is unlikely that this technology will fall by the wayside in the near future.