ABC of GPS

GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a technology that is capable of pinpointing your exact location anywhere on the planet. Of course, it's not always that simple and there's more to it than being a way for guys to avoid asking for directions. We’re sure most of you techies must be well-versed with GPS since it’s become increasingly popular in India, but we thought it wouldn't be out of place to offer some basic information about it and what it can (or can't) do for you.

Integration of GPS with mobile phones didn't take long. It's still nascent in India, but quickly making progress. Maps offered have to be approved by the Government of India, and even then there's no guarantee that it will work, given the enthusiasm with which we keeping digging up our streets... think there's oil beneath, or gold?

How it Works
GPS works on satellite imaging, so you will need to be out in the open (it won’t work indoors). GPS is operated by the US Department of Defense, but other countries are beginning to build their own infrastructure. GPS is especially useful in the aviation and automotive industry, but we’re concerned with handheld GPS systems available in mobile phones such as Asus P535, Nokia 6110 and 6120 Navigator.

If you're the outdoorsy sort who drives around, or do a lot of traveling on the job, it’s good to know where you are and what you’re getting into right? The Nokia Navigator, for instance, provides maps that can be downloaded before you embark on your tour. Obviously, this will be less sophisticated than the GPS technology used by fleet management companies, but then it comes in a smaller package and you don’t need an additional device.

Finding Your Way
You can do a lot with a mobile handset loaded with an inbuilt GPS system. For starters, you can simply plot a route from your location to any place on the map. The drawback is that the place you wish to visit should be on the map as a POI (Point of Interest), or be a location you have saved previously.

Of course, GPS systems need to be fleshed out before use, and for basic navigation purposes your mobile GPS can only get your so far. The system takes no cognizance of roads in repair, so what may seem like a perfectly normal routing could go awry.

To top it all, we have unorganized and incoherent naming standards, with most roads not having proper names. For example, if you’re a Mumbaikar you’ll probably know where Hill Road in Bandra is, but on a GPS map you may not find it all. Besides, there’s more than one way you can reach your destination from anywhere in a city.

If you're on foot you can take the shortest route indicated. If traveling by vehicle you can do the same, but this might not take into account how big or small (or congested) the roads are. Some GPS-enabled handsets have an 'easiest route' option, which plots the most sensible route to your destination keeping in mind only the main roads etc.