GPS takes over the world

Most of those GPS devices will be in-car systems, but GPS features are increasingly being built into mobile phones and spreading into other areas as well. The outdoor models reviewed here are becoming
more and more popular, as are sports or fitness devices designed for running, cycling and other sports. As well as allowing you to plan your route and keep track of your location, these devices often include other features, such as the ability to record lap times, heart rate and even the number of calories you burn along the way.

However, GPS isn’t stopping there. Sportswear specialist ONeill has developed a skiing jacket called the Navjacket, which has a GPS receiver built into it, along with a flexible organic LED built right onto the sleeve of the jacket so that you can glance down at the screen on your arm without even pausing as you hurtle down the piste. There was even a GPS dog collar on show at the recent Crufts dog show in the UK.

However, one of the biggest growth areas for GPS is people tracking. There are many devices being developed that are designed to help parents keep track of their children, or other family members
such as elderly relatives. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, one health company unveiled a set of GPS trainers. These were aimed at people suffering from Alzheimers the idea being that they can be located if they wander off or forget where they are. And the sat-nav boom is likely to continue. At the moment, all satnav devices rely on a satellite system that was set up and controlled by the US military. To ensure independence from the US system, the European Union is developing its own GPS satellite system called Galileo, while Russia is working on its own Glonass system. With all that GPS hardware floating over our heads, you can bet that more and more GPS products and services will be developed over the next few years in order to make use of it all.