Tag: gps

by Incredible Planet Staff

Top 3 Mobile Apps for Quicker Parking & Easier Commuting


Technology

The latest developments in mobile apps makes it easier for individuals to find traffic-free routes and open parking spots in just about any city. The concept is simple yet high in demand, so today there are many mobile apps that make both parking and commuting much easier. Below are three of our top picks.

ParkMobile

Recognized for being one of the best mobile parking apps available, ParkMobile was designed to help you find parking spots with ease. It is available in more than 3,000 cities and locations around the United States which gives it the widest coverage for a parking app. You can use it to find free parking spaces and pay for metered spaces directly from your smartphone.

Beyond finding parking, the ParkMobile parking app comes with a number of other handy features as well. For example, if your parking session has expired, the app will send you a notification on your phone to keep you from getting a ticket. You can also extend your parking session via the application to save you the trouble of going out to the car park in person.

The only troubling limitation to ParkMobile is the number of parking spots listed. The application has over 1,000,000 parking spots listed in the United States however this is limited to parking lots that are partnered with ParkMobile. For the spots that are listed, you can find and book a parking spot in advance to save time.

Google Maps

Google Maps is the world’s premier application for finding your way. You can use it to find your way to just about anywhere that roads lead to which makes it vital for anyone who is visiting a new town. Google Maps can be used for walking, cycling and driving alike.

The ease of use and features included are what has made Google Maps so popular. You can use it to find the quickest route to your destination and it will even tell you if it would be wiser to take another route because of traffic. Location sharing is also available in case you need to show someone how to get to where you are.

Google Maps is a great app for simply getting from point A to point B. The navigator can be set to direct you to the location using voice commands so that it is hands free while driving but if you spend a lot of time driving, there are better applications that you can use.

Waze

Waze is an application that was built primarily for drivers. With a few custom tweaks, drivers who use Waze will have access to real-time information about traffic congestion, police stops, road hazards and even potholes. A lot of the data included in the application is sent in by other users which helps to keep it updated regularly.

Relying on users for information updates makes Waze more reliable in many ways. For example, it uses trusted locals to update the house numbers, street names and current road conditions from rural areas that would otherwise be overlooked. The recommendations for ‘hidden routes’ are so useful that local communities are having trouble dealing with a surge of drivers on roads that are not designed to handle so much traffic.If you’re just looking for back-seat driver to help you get somewhere then Google Maps is for you however if you’re a taxi driver or someone who commutes often then Waze is better suited to your needs.


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by Incredible Planet Staff

Navigation Systems to Guide a Safe Journey


Technology

A good navigation system enables you to travel safely, avoid traffic and en route a better driving. Navigation systems for your car are a-guide-to-safe-journey, apparently because it isn’t fascinating to get lost like Alice in Wonderland! A GPS navigation device consists of global positioning system (or GPS) receiver that picks up satellite signals to determine your exact position. That concludes GPS is your Jeanie that helps you get from point A to B without draining a lot of gas. You don’t have to keep looking at the system and dash into another car-the device speaks! In simple words, a loudspeaker for verbal instructions.

But the point arises, do you need a dedicated GPS screen on your car dashboard, or is a Smartphone app smart enough to guide you?

Let’s see a few options to buy the best navigation systems or either download them on your smart phones.

Garmin Drive 51 LMT-S

While car navigation systems could cost you a fortune, Garmin Drive 51 LMT-S is slightly affordable with key skills of being user-friendly. It costs about 170$ with a bit discount if bought from the company. The Bluetooth device when connected to its smartphone app gives daily weather and traffic updates, parking prices and availability in the cities and a lot more. The device has a guide to driver alerts that include alerts in traffic, red signals, school zones, upcoming speed changes and speed cameras. With this tool in the car, you sure can never drive wrong way as it alerts you of the same! This is the best pick with all essential features with extra skills. Another device following the series is Garmin DriveSmart 51 LMT-S with a more beautiful display and voice control yet a runner-up to the previous one. Garmin Nuvi 55LM GPS Navigation System with Lifetime Maps (Black) is the latest best model.

TomTom Go 50 S

If you’re looking for a primary GPS device to get from a place to another, shedding bare minimum from your pocket, TomTom Go 50 S is just the right device. It is way cheaper than the Garmin models but isn’t driver-friendly either. It comes with free lifetime map and traffic updates if connected to its smartphone app. The Go 50 S also provides twice the battery life of the Garmin Drive 51 LMT-S, but the features are not as efficient as Garmin models. The voice directions do not specify identifiable landmarks like the Garmin models, but you can make it out by the 3D display on the screen.

Magellan RoadMate 9612T-LM

The Magellan RoadMate 9612T-LM is one of the most extensive GPS systems for cars. GPs systems could have tiny texts giving a hard time to the weak eye-sight. This model has come to your rescue now with a seven-inch screen. The device provides you speed limit warnings, parking advice, notifications of traffic cams and red lights with PhantomALERT and lifetime free map updates. The benefit that the model doesn’t give you is that it comes with no voice recognition and has poor battery life. So, you ought to have a free charging point always and keep a reader in the passenger seat!

Along with these tech-savvy navigation systems, you can also look forward to using few Smartphone apps that won’t cost you at all yet provide the primary guide to a safe journey.

Waze

This app gives you full features like an expensive navigation system. It has an extra affinity towards the traffic alerts department. It displays a 3D design of any accidents, hazards or road closure in the vicinity. Red lines indicate how long has the traffic extended and the app gives you an alternate traffic-free route to your destination. You can also report any traffic for other Waze users. This app is by far the best in use for the daily office commute, free for Android and IOS users. The app, however, does not have any offline map feature and is strictly limited to driving routes, not for cycles.

Komoot

Komoot is a German startup navigation app that covers an exhaustive range of North American bike paths and mountain trails with offline topographic maps. You can check for any short-distance hiking and biking routes near you. It’s great to be out of radio contact yet not lost since you have Komoot’s offline maps and direction handy! The app features various factors of a trip like the elevation, surface, difficulty of climbing, etc. and keeps you informed of the distance covered and the length remaining. The first map with voice directions is free while the rest cost you about 30$ for All-Regions package with free updates. The amount is bearable if compared to that of the terrible car navigation systems.

Apart from these apps, google maps are always helpful when it comes to the basic tour guide. You can save maps for offline use, complete with voice directions. Maps expire after 30 days, though, so you’ll need to make sure you’ve refreshed your maps if you’re going to be without cell service. The turn-by-turn directions are well-timed, while the search function is top-notch, with auto-suggestions and predictions based on past searches. It assists you with everything – an all-rounder navigation system.

by Incredible Planet Staff

How your Child Can Gain Confidence in a Cyber World


People

It is important to teach children the essence of self-confidence at a young age. Their awareness about the need to be confident will help them develop socially and mentally. Confident people find it easier to boldly make the decisions that will make them successful in their adult life. As parents, helping the children to accept themselves regardless of what the society thinks is a good way to inspire confidence. Parents should also avoid bullying the child or make comparisons that can hurt the child’s self-esteem.

In these times, children who have access to the internet encounter many situations that can hinder their confidence such as cyberbullying, and other unwanted solicitations.

Cyberbullying occurs on the internet. It involves the strong use of abusive language and derogatory sentences to offend and confuse other people. Over the years, cyberbullying has become a great concern in our societies; the following statistics have been discovered regarding this issue:

  • 25% of teenagers who are active online admit that they have experienced some form of cyberbullying.
  • Female internet users tend to be more actively involved in cyberbullying.
  • Parents hardly know their children are being bullied online because only 1 in 10 teenagers will inform their parents about their encounter with cyber bullies.

Cyberbullying is targeted at teenagers who are still trying to discover and understand their personalities.

Regarding online predators, they are a significant threat to young children who use the internet. Their targets include boys and girls. Due to the virtual nature of the internet, these predators can assume the identity of an innocent person to lure their victims. The statistics regarding online predators is as follows:

  • There are over 500,000 online predators actively using the internet daily;
  • 87% of these attacks are orchestrated in private chat rooms and via instant messaging platforms;
  • 56% of the children who have encountered predators online confirm that they were asked to send their pictures.

Sexting can be described as the use of explicit videos, pictures, and messages in a public or private online chat. The statistics regarding sexting are as follows:

  • 15% of teenagers admit that they have sent nude pictures of themselves to people they have never physically met.
  • 57% admit that they were encouraged to post sexually explicit pictures online.
  • 12% of girls are bullied into participating in sexting.
iphone 410324 1920
iphone 410324 1920

Considering these cyber threats and the presence of online predators, it is important that parents know what their children are doing online. Parents can guide and protect their children from the imminent dangers of the online sphere by using parental control app to monitor their children’s browsing behavior. These apps give parents the following access:

  • monitor apps that offer instant messaging (Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat);
  • view browsing history;
  • access to messages in the inbox and outbox including deleted messages;
  • monitor incoming & outgoing calls made from their children’s mobile devices;
  • monitor the frequently used apps to identify potential threats which can be blocked;
  • track location through GPS and geo-fencing;

You can protect your children from cyber bullying and predators online by monitoring their online activities. Children who encounter these issues online content with depression and social isolation which can destroy their confidence. Parents should strive to help their children become confident in their abilities and features while protecting them from cyberbullying and online predators.

by Miles Chambers

5 Military Inventions That You’re Using Now


Technology

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Humans have learned to adapt because we needed something at some point. To address that lack of some “thing”, mankind has drawn its inherent powers of the mind to create something that is primarily useful to all.

While some would contest that not all inventions are created equal – with some arguing that technology has its downside – we certainly cannot deny the advantages and benefits of what innovations man has come up with.

At times, even the most discordant settings can produce helpful aids. Not to condone war or strife, but certain technologies we enjoy today were borne out of the need to cope with matters of armed conflict.

Here are some inventions that sprouted from the military bed.

1. The Internet

This list would not be complete if it did not include one of mankind’s greatest inventions – the internet.

With the need to enhance point-to-point communication, the digital communication system had to be born. From the United States Department of Defense’s efforts came ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). This provided the technical foundation of the internet and has since taken on a life of its own.

Now, the internet and all its other permutations have snaked their way into our daily lives. They have made information more accessible, providing a technology superhighway that connects people in the most amazing ways.

2. Global Positioning System (GPS)

Where would people be without the GPS leading the way?

Although an exaggeration (or is it?), this radionavigation system has pierced into the civilian consciousness and has since then changed lives forever. It might be melodramatic to say so, but it has come a long way from when it was invented in the ‘70s.

Conceived primarily for military use, GPS was finally made available for the common people to use in the ‘80s. Since then, it has provided crucial positioning capabilities to military, civil, and commercial entities.

Today, widespread use of navigation systems has made life more convenient. From critical search and rescue missions used by advanced military vehicles, to searching for that one vacation spot you want to enjoy, GPS has certainly claimed its position in history.

3. Off-road Vehicles

One of the earliest accounts for off-road vehicle use was after the Russian Revolution of 1917. This was when Adolphe Kégresse, a French military engineer who invented the half track and dual-clutch transmission, went back to his native land and worked for Citroën between the years 1921 and 1937 and used his system for off-road and military vehicles.

Off-road vehicles of today are miles and miles apart from that historical conversion. From military 4×4 vehicles to the preferred transport of adventurous junkies, these automobiles have developed into sophisticated means of transport. They have various cross-terrain capabilities as well as other features that make them valuable, and not only in the military setting.

4. Duct Tape

Thanks to a mother’s thoughtfulness and love, the “duck tape” — as it was originally called because (1) It was waterproof, and (2) It was made of cotton duck fabric — was invented.

With her sons serving in the military during World War II, Vesta Stoudt, a woman who was working packing and inspecting cartridges used to launch rifle grenades, had a lightbulb moment. Noticing the need for a strong, waterproof tape, she sent her idea through a letter to then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Her letter was written with a purpose and a strong desire to save the lives of not only her sons, but the sons of so many others.

Realizing the importance of her suggestion, the duct tape was commissioned to be produced by Johnson & Johnson.

From the trenches of war to our daily domestic battles, the duct tape has stuck and has since been part of our lives.

5. Aviator Sunglasses

This may be the most “trivial” in the list, but we cannot negate the importance of this stylish pair of shades.

These sunglasses were originally meant to shade the eyes of air force pilots who reported to have vision problems at high altitudes because of the sun’s glare. A sunglasses manufacturer then made a new kind of glasses with green lenses. This anti-glare technology was made available to the public in 1937 and has become a trend with irrefutable staying power.

Today, this stylish pair of sunnies not only has functional purposes but is part of the fashionable set’s ensemble. From the air strips to the fashion runways, aviators are here to stay.

All’s well that ends well.

While these innovations had their genesis in the pools of military warfare, we cannot deny the fact that their usefulness has long surpassed their original purpose. These remarkable breakthroughs in our history may have stemmed from the need to combat hostile forces, but thankfully, they have found a way to provide a better use for the greater good.

It will still always be a matter of choice as to how these things are made. In the end, it still depends on the human capacity to think and weigh the consequences of how these inventions will impact society.