Latest GPS Satellite Good to Go

The latest GPS Block II satellite launched by the United States on October 17, has been declared fully operational. The announcement came after a successful on-orbit checkout by a combined U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin team.

The satellite, designated GPS IIR-17M, is the fourth in a series of eight Block IIR-M satellites built by the defense contractor. These latest satellites feature a a stronger signal, two new military signals, a second civilian channel as well as enhanced encryption and anti- jamming capabilities for the military.

This is the fourth IIR-M satellite in orbit. In total, the U.S. GPS satellite constellation currently numbers 28. A fifth Block IIR-M satellite is scheduled for launch on December 20.

GPS Gadget of the Week: CPC 1100 GPS (XLT)

Forget about GPS cellphones, this Christmas the true GPS enthusiast is hoping for a serious GPS-enabled device. Something like the CPC 1100 GPS (XLT) Telescope. Its 11 inch lens is sure to draw the attention, and envy, of any serious technophile.

The GPS component allows the telescope to automatically pinpoint its location on Earth, thereby eliminating the need to manually enter the information, because after all, manually entering information is just so 90's. Once it knows its location, the CPC 1100 telescope can access a database of over 40,000 astronomical objects, allowing the user to easily gaze into the heavens for months.

Having the coolest GPS device on the block will run you about $2900.

Via Navigadget.