- Design & Prototyping
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Roger Easton – Father of GPS (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory)
- Design & Prototyping
- The Global Positioning System was originally created during the Cold War in the late 1950’s. It was originally designed for military and inspired by Sputnik spacecraft in 1957. Roger L. Easton was the inventor of the type of GPS we use today and he received a patent for his design in the early 1970’s. According to all my research, it seems as though the design team of this product was mostly, if not all, men. In the early stages of GPS, it was used and created by and for men in the military. The first global positioning satellite system produced by the US was called Transit, which was tested by the US Navy in 1960. It is not hard to believe that only men were behind this original idea and concept of global positioning using satellites. (Sullivan, 2012)
- Manufacturing & Production
- There are many different companies that produce GPS devices, all over the world. Most of the workers in the factories are male, however the product sells to both males and females. The voices used in the devices are mostly female, which I will go into more detail in the Social Factors section.
- Marketing
- Global positioning systems are marketed toward all people, adults specifically. Today, GPS systems are used for many different things such as “navigation applications, route finding for drivers, map-making, earthquake research, climate studies, and an outdoor treasure-hunting game known as geocaching.” (Mio, 2011). Because of these many different uses, any type of person could and does use a GPS. Most are sold to adults or families, while others buy them strictly for science research and things such as what the military used to use them for. Overall, the use of the product is very much so for both genders and all types of people.
- Sales
- There are many GPS companies that manufacture the same type of product, just like any other kind of technology. One of the main companies is Magellan, who introduced the first hand-held GPS device in 1988 (GIS2GPS, 2002). Other popular companies include Garmin, Trimble, Lowrance, Trak, and most recently, Apple who introduced an updated version of the Maps app on the iPhone, which serves as a GPS.
- User Support
- When you purchase a GPS device, you will receive directions or instructions within the package which can answer most questions you might have about the product. Living in the technology-based world we live in these days, you can often find a technical support page on most websites from where your GPS is produced. The technical support page for Magellan shows topics such as FAQ’s, Manuals and Software Downloads, Product Registration, Warranty, Repairs & Returns, and more. There is also a contact button where you can send in a personal email or make a phone call to the company to have your questions answered if you don’t find an answer within the given information on the page.
- Maintenance
- Like any other type of technology, you want to take good care of it so it will last as long as possible. This means being gentle with the device, refraining from getting it wet or dropping it, and sometimes putting it inside of a case so it is less likely to be damaged. However, if there is a glitch within the device itself or the system appears to be broken, you can contact technical support from the company’s website and find a way to get it fixed. Magellan devices have a one-year warranty for new devices. For most problems, Magellan depends on the one-year warranty and by exceeding this warranty, your chances of getting a free repair are very slim. They do offer a lower cost of a new device if your old one is broken and out of warranty. (Magellan, 2015)
- Recycling & Disposal
- According to Magellan, “Electronic devices make our lived better, but we still need to dispose of them properly so they do not damage our environment.” In America, the company offers a “Take-Back Program”, in which they let you send in your old GPS devices to be properly recycled and disposed of (Magellan, 2015). All you need to do is access the support page from the Magellan website and find the section on “Recycling.” Then you must follow the instructions and make sure a few things are done:
- 1. Completely discharge your device battery.
- 2. Remove all personal information from your device
- 3. Back up your information
- 4. Agree to the Terms and Conditions and select your state below to see instructions for how to ship your device to us for recycling.
- At the bottom of the page, there is a drop box where you choose your state and the click “next.” It will give you the proper information on how to ship back your product for proper disposal, depending on your state.
