Page 26 - Boca ViewPointe - January '25

Page 26, Viewpointe January 2025
Book Review

Pinpoint: How GPS Is until you arrive at your a tech firm, Trimble Navigation, was fascinated by the concept
of GPS and was instrumental in the introduction three years
predetermined destination, the
Changing Technology, Culture, true background story of how later of their first GPS receiver.
• The book’s first two chapters are fascinating in describing
And Our Minds this technology—the Global centuries of mankind’s search for an answer to the question,
Positioning System (GPS)—
was created and developed “Where am I?” On a planet that consists more of water than
By Nils A. Shapiro is equally extraordinary, and land, with no identifiable markings and a flat surrounding
it is told here in impressive horizon, travelers on the open ocean were forced to reckon
Nils began his career detail thanks to the clearly by the sun, moon and stars.
as marketing director for a exhaustive depth of research As the author notes, “In seafaring and navigational terms,
major book publisher. He by author Greg Milner. After while the Europeans were discovering fire, the Polynesians
has since edited the authors’ 266 pages of text there are an had already split the atom. They crossed the ocean in canoes
manuscripts for more than additional 50 reference pages. roughly 60 feet long, built from hollowed-out trees, with
20 published books, written I must state at the outset sails made from woven leaves. … And yet, with no compass,
more than 200 book reviews, that so fascinating to me is the way that the GPS technology is sextant, or any other modern navigational aid, explorers in
served as publisher of several able to provide its driving directions to the general public. I was canoes found tiny oases scattered across one-third of the planet,
million-plus circulation sufficiently intrigued to keep turning the pages to the very last an expanse nearly as vast as Europe and Asia combined.”
national magazines, created one, even though, because of other important events in GPS’s • As part of its ongoing attempts to prevent civilians from
the official yearbooks for teams in Major League Baseball, history and other ways in which it is used, the author took many deriving the full benefits of GPS technology the Pentagon in
the National Football League, National Basketball Association narrative detours that (ironically, considering this book’s subject April 1990 established a two-tier coding to enable the satellite
and National Hockey League, and “retired” as president of a matter) it frequently left a “non-techie” like me lost for a while. service. The restricted one was labeled SA, which stood for select
successful telecommunications company. But it has been well worth the trip. And here are just a few availability and was reserved for the military. Four months later
As miraculous as is the now common practice of being of the hundreds of things you will learn here to underscore Iraq invaded Kuwait in Desert Storm and a private American
guided by an invisible voice as you drive miles through streets my recommendation that you dip into Pinpoint … especially company, which had developed a highly efficient small received
and down highways, making left and right turns on command if your technology IQ exceeds mine. called the Trimpack, filled a Pentagon order for 1,000 units that
than 20,000 kilometers above planet Earth. Every few minutes enabled U.S. forces to know where they were in the open spaces
• There is a constellation of 31 GPS satellites orbiting more
of the desert, providing one’s latitude and longitude, directions to
Move Over LAW 16 U.S. Air Force monitoring stations around the world, from another location and even store the GPS coordinates of special
battle maneuvers. In order to do so it needed to have Pentagon
Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific to the South of England, collect
(FS 316.126) data from satellites coming over the horizon, noting speed and clearance for SA access. But when that company ran out of their
trajectory based on 1,200 different protocols that tell how the
Trimpacks another firm, Magellan, offered a substitute of their
own that could provide most of the same benefits. “Despite a
satellite is performing. There is no room for error. Among
other uses, all the world’s atomic clocks base their timing on price tag of $1,000 soldiers wanted these Magellans—even if
By Elyse Weintraub these satellites. And for drivers, if a satellite’s timing is off by they had to pay for them out of their own pockets. Their families
Brown, Community one millionth of a second the directions can send a driver as called the company, which directed them to marine retail outfits.
Education Specialist, far as 200 miles from the desired destination! The most enterprising soldiers would manage to call Magellan
Palm Beach County Fire • America’s first interest in developing a technology that directly from the Gulf and arrange for the company to ship the
Rescue would later become GPS began in earnest during World War receivers directly to them.”
(561) 616-7051 or II. Its purpose: to kill people more efficiently by making • When the private companies began to develop GPS
ewbrown@pbcgov.org our airplanes’ bombing raids over Germany and Japan more technology their focus was on the mariner (boaters’) market,
accurate. Although the facts were kept from civilians at home, not automobile drivers. In 1989, Gary Burrell and Min Kao
This message is the truth was that the Army Air Corps’ doctrine of high-altitude started their Garmin Company (named from the first parts
brought to you by your bombing to avoid hazardous daytime raids resulted in targets of both their names) and soon proved them wrong. “By
friendly Firefighters from often being missed by more than a mile. 2006, Garmin controlled 60 percent of the U.S. [market] for
Palm Beach County Fire And then, for decades, the military rejected to the point of navigation equipment. Americans bought five million Garmin
Rescue…. sabotaging at every opportunity the use of GPS for civilian GPS receivers that year, as the company posted $1.68 billion
Every day firefighters and other purposes! This is one of the most frustrating themes that in sales, a 64 percent increase from 2005. Fully half of the
emergency responders drive runs through much of the book, a constant example of the company’s revenue came from GPS units, with sales in that
to emergencies. What’s more, shortsightedness of the American military in its obsessive segment growing at an astounding 140 percent annually.” U.S.
oftentimes the emergency they concern about technology getting into the hands of an enemy. News & World Report Magazine credited Garmin with opening
are driving to is actually in the It was left to private industry to do the job. up a new consumer category.
roadway. Although they are helping Interestingly, one of the individuals who played a role in I may have gotten lost a few times learning about GPS
others and rendering aid, they are its development was an immigrant who, hating and fearing in these pages because of my low technical IQ, but you
also at risk of being injured and killed on our roadways by Ayatollah Khomeini, fled from Iran hoping to work hard and shouldn’t let that stop you from heading straight for a
motorists. Help protect them…because if they can’t help you bring his wife and children to the U.S. He was hired in 1981 by copy of this book. 
in your time of need…who will?
Learn the Move Over LAW (FS 316.126)
Are you unsure about what you are supposed to do when What Legal Documents Are Most
you are driving on a local roadway, and you see DRIVING
lights flashing and sirens wailing on the way to an emergency? Important Now?
BEHIND YOU a fire truck or other emergency vehicle with
The Answer is …you must yield the right of way. When it is
safe to do so, move over as close as reasonable to the closest By Martin Zevin, Attorney If you are married, you still need to do a Health Care
edge of the curb of the roadway, clear of any intersection and The pandemic changed Surrogate, Living Will and Power of Attorney.
then stop. When this happens on highways and interstates, almost everything. But certain If you should die, your Will or Revocable Living Trust
rather than stop, slow down and then safely move over so legal documents are more will determine who inherits your assets. The Trust is
that the emergency vehicle can pass. important than ever. important to consider if you own your home or other real
Are you unsure about what you are supposed to do when I f y o u ne e d t o b e estate, because it avoids Probate. Probate can tie up your
you are driving on a roadway with multiple lanes, and you see hospitalized in Florida, it is property for many months and prevent your heirs from
a fire truck or rescue truck working an emergency ON THE imperative that you have a selling without a Court Order. They would have to continue
SIDE OF THE ROAD? The Answer is….When it is safe to Designation of Health Care to pay taxes, maintenance, mortgage, utilities etc. in addition
do, merge away from a vehicle working on the side of the Surrogate and Living Will with to thousands of dollars in attorney fees and court costs. A
roadway to provide an empty travel lane for the emergency proper wording so there will be no problems. Do not rely Life Estate Deed is another option to consider to avoid
worker. If you are not able to safely move over, you must on generic forms obtained on line. Florida hospitals are probate. Your attorney can discuss the different options
slow down to a speed of 20 MPH below the posted speed requiring specific HIPAA compliant language not found on and the benefits of each one.
limit unless directed otherwise by a law enforcement officer. generic forms. Your Surrogate will be able to make medical I am providing free personal or phone consultations to
On a two-lane roadway…Where there is NO lane of travel decisions for you if you are unable to communicate. Even discuss Estate Planning and protecting yourself if you are
in the same direction to merge over to, you are REQUIRED if the hospital does not allow any visitors, your Surrogate incapacitated. In these unsettling times, putting your house
to slow down to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than will be able to talk to the doctors and make decisions on the in order can provide peace of mind. Once you have valid
the posted speed limit. If the speed limit is 20 miles per hour phone or e-mail. Your Surrogate does not need to be present documents, hopefully you won’t need them. Yogi Berra
or less, you must slow down to five miles per hour. in the hospital. All your Surrogate needs to do is e-mail or used to say: “That’s the insurance when you don’t have it,
In the State of Florida, drivers must also move over for fax a copy of your document to the hospital. If there is no that’s when you need it.” Call me at (954) 569-4878. My
sanitation vehicles and utility service vehicles performing hope to save you, that Surrogate would be authorized to address is 3275 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Suite 204, Deerfield
tasks related to their services, and wreckers displaying amber “pull the plug” based on the Living Will. Beach, Florida 33442. My website is www.martinzevinpa.
rotating or flashing lights performing a recovery or loading The Durable Power of Attorney is also important to allow com and my e-mail address is martinzevin@netzero.com.
on the roadside. someone to take over your legal and financial affairs. The Stay well.
Violating the Move Over Law can result in a fine and points Florida law changed in 2011. If you have an old Durable
on your license; and worse, because it puts rescuers, civilians, Power of Attorney, it should be redone. Again, do not rely
and other motorists at risk of serious injury and even death. on generic forms. Our current Power of Attorney is 26 pages
For everyone’s safety, share the Move Over Law with others. long to conform to Florida law.
Help us…help You! 
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