Page 8 - Palm City Spotlight - January '25

Page 8, Palm City Spotlight

book review

Pinpoint: How GPS Is minutes 16 U.S. Air Force As the author notes, “In seafaring and navigational terms,
monitoring stations around
while the Europeans were discovering fire, the Polynesians had
Changing Technology, Culture, the world, from Kwajalein already split the atom. They crossed the ocean in canoes roughly
And Our Minds Atoll in the Pacific to the 60 feet long, built from hollowed-out trees, with sails made from
woven leaves. … And yet, with no compass, sextant, or any other
South of England, collect
data from satellites coming modern navigational aid, explorers in canoes found tiny oases
By Nils A. Shapiro over the horizon, noting scattered across one-third of the planet, an expanse nearly as vast
Nils began his career speed and trajectory based as Europe and Asia combined.”
as marketing director for a on 1,200 different protocols • As part of its ongoing attempts to prevent civilians from
major book publisher. He that tell how the satellite is deriving the full benefits of GPS technology the Pentagon in
has since edited the authors’ performing. There is no room April 1990 established a two-tier coding to enable the satellite
manuscripts for more than for error. Among other uses, service. The restricted one was labeled SA, which stood for select
20 published books, written all the world’s atomic clocks availability and was reserved for the military. Four months later
more than 200 book reviews, base their timing on these Iraq invaded Kuwait in Desert Storm and a private American
served as publisher of several satellites. And for drivers, if a company, which had developed a highly efficient small receiver
million-plus circulation satellite’s timing is off by one millionth of a second the directions called the Trimpack, filled a Pentagon order for 1,000 units that
national magazines, created can send a driver as far as 200 miles from the desired destination! enabled U.S. forces to know where they were in the open spaces
the official yearbooks for • America’s first interest in developing a technology that of the desert, providing one’s latitude and longitude, directions to
teams in Major League Baseball, the National Football would later become GPS began in earnest during World War another location and even store the GPS coordinates of special
League, National Basketball Association and National II. Its purpose: to kill people more efficiently by making our battle maneuvers. In order to do so it needed to have Pentagon
Hockey League, and “retired” as president of a successful airplanes’ bombing raids over Germany and Japan more accurate. clearance for SA access. But when that company ran out of their
telecommunications company. Although the facts were kept from civilians at home, the truth Trimpacks another firm, Magellan, offered a substitute of their
As miraculous as is the now common practice of being guided was that the Army Air Corps’ doctrine of high-altitude bombing own that could provide most of the same benefits. “Despite a
by an invisible voice as you drive miles through streets and down to avoid hazardous daytime raids resulted in targets often being price tag of $1,000 soldiers wanted these Magellans—even if
highways, making left and right turns on command until you missed by more than a mile. they had to pay for them out of their own pockets. Their families
arrive at your predetermined destination, the true background And then, for decades, the military rejected to the point of called the company, which directed them to marine retail outfits.
story of how this technology—the Global Positioning System sabotaging at every opportunity the use of GPS for civilian The most enterprising soldiers would manage to call Magellan
(GPS)—was created and developed is equally extraordinary, and purposes! This is one of the most frustrating themes that directly from the Gulf and arrange for the company to ship the
it is told here in impressive detail thanks to the clearly exhaustive runs through much of the book, a constant example of the receivers directly to them.”
depth of research by author Greg Milner. After 266 pages of text shortsightedness of the American military in its obsessive concern • When the private companies began to develop GPS
there are an additional 50 reference pages. about technology getting into the hands of an enemy. It was left technology their focus was on the mariner (boaters’) market,
I must state at the outset that so fascinating to me is the way to private industry to do the job. not automobile drivers. In 1989, Gary Burrell and Min Kao
that the GPS technology is able to provide its driving directions Interestingly, one of the individuals who played a role in its started their Garmin Company (named from the first parts of
to the general public. I was sufficiently intrigued to keep turning development was an immigrant who, hating and fearing Ayatollah both their names) and soon proved them wrong. “By 2006,
the pages to the very last one, even though, because of other Khomeini, fled from Iran hoping to work hard and bring his wife Garmin controlled 60 percent of the U.S. [market] for navigation
important events in GPS’s history and other ways in which it and children to the U.S. He was hired in 1981 by a tech firm, equipment. Americans bought five million Garmin GPS receivers
is used, the author took many narrative detours that (ironically, Trimble Navigation, was fascinated by the concept of GPS and that year, as the company posted $1.68 billion in sales, a 64
considering this book’s subject matter) it frequently left a “non- was instrumental in the introduction three years later of their first percent increase from 2005. Fully half of the company’s revenue
techie” like me lost for a while. GPS receiver. came from GPS units, with sales in that segment growing at an
But it has been well worth the trip. And here are just a few • The book’s first two chapters are fascinating in describing astounding 140 percent annually.” U.S. News & World Report
of the hundreds of things you will learn here to underscore my centuries of mankind’s search for an answer to the question, Magazine credited Garmin with opening up a new consumer
recommendation that you dip into Pinpoint … especially if your “Where am I?” On a planet that consists more of water than land, category.
technology IQ exceeds mine. with no identifiable markings and a flat surrounding horizon, I may have gotten lost a few times learning about GPS in
• There is a constellation of 31 GPS satellites orbiting travelers on the open ocean were forced to reckon by the sun, these pages because of my low technical IQ, but you shouldn’t
more than 20,000 kilometers above planet Earth. Every few moon and stars. let that stop you from heading straight for a copy of this book.

spoTliGhT

Treasure Health Names Lisbet Vandenberg brings more than 30 years of extensive
Vandenberg Chief Financial accounting and financial experience to the position,
including more than 20 years serving as a chief financial
Officer officer. Prior to joining St. Francis Reflections Lifestage
Care in 2022, Vandenberg served as the chief financial
officer for the largest nonprofit hospice in Southern Nevada.
Expanded Role Oversees Treasure Coast Strongly committed to her profession and community,
Hospice And St. Francis Reflections Vandenberg has served as a board member of Financial
Lifestage Care Executives International (FEI), the United Way of
Southern Nevada, the Latin Chamber of Commerce and
Treasure Coast Hospice (TCH), a Treasure Health the College of Southern Nevada Foundation Board of
service, and St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care Trustees.
(SFR) recently announced the promotion of Lisbet “Liz” Vandenberg holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business
Vandenberg to chief financial officer (CFO), effective Administration from the Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela
December 2. Currently serving as CFO/COO for St. Francis and a master’s degree in business administration from the
Reflections, Vandenberg’s promotion reflects the long-term National University, Irvine, California.
growth and strategic initiatives of the recently finalized
partnership between Treasure Coast-based Treasure Coast
Hospice and Space Coast-based St. Francis Reflections. In
her new role, Vandenberg will be responsible for oversight
of all aspects of the combined hospice and palliative care
organization’s financial operations, reporting, budgeting
and accounting processes.
“We are excited to have Liz accept this expanded role and • LARGEST SELECTION of in-stock hearing aids
oversee the financial operations of our combined organization,” • SALES, SERVICE, & REPAIRS on all major brands
said Treasure Health President and CEO Jackie Kendrick, • Tinnitus & Earwax Management Best Price
CHPCA. “Liz’ financial acumen and experience in merger • Insurance Accepted & Financing Available Guarantee
and acquisitions will enable Treasure Coast Hospice and St.
Francis Reflections to further its strategic plans for growth
FREE
while continuing our commitment to deliver compassionate FREE Free Hearing Evaluation,
hospice and palliative care to our respective communities.” Hearing Aid Clean/Check
“I’m thrilled to take on this expanded role and look forward PREMIUM
$1,000 OFF
to working with the teams at Treasure Coast Hospice and St. $1,000 OFF
Francis Reflections to successfully implement their strategic HEARING AIDS
financial and growth initiatives,” said Vandenberg. Any Competitor’s
15% OFF
Elizabeth James, BC-HIS 15% OFF Hearing Aid Pricing
Business Owner
772-279-3725 • HearAgainAmerica.com/Stuart
5941 SE Federal Hwy, Stuart (Publix Cove Shopping Center) • 3205 SW Port St Lucie Blvd, PSL (Publix Darwin Square Shopping Plaza)