Sat Nav and The Science Behind It

The thought of travelling to a far-off village with a road map in tow has become antiquated in recent years, and that’s primarily due to satellite navigation. This remarkable tech is now so common that most of us carry a global navigation system in our pockets every day.

Sat nav was originally invented for the US military, and was based on primitive navigation systems that had been prototyped in the 1960s. Mapping as we know it was opened up to consumers after the US government decrypted its navigation systems and improved accuracy, which took place around 20 years ago.

In the mid-2000s, the first commercially available sat nav systems were fitted to cars, and there’s now very little practical difference between the system on your phone and the system used by the military.

How Sat Nav Works - the Basics

The GPS chip in your phone or sat nav system scans the sky looking for positioning satellites.

There are 24 of these satellites currently in orbit, although your sat nav only needs to be able to see three of them to get a location. In practice, most of our devices can see several at any time.

If your device can see four satellites, rather than three, it gets a little bit more information: it can also calculate your altitude.

The phone in your pocket, or sat nav in your car, still requires the resources of the US military on the ground, too. Two ground stations in the United States ensure that the satellites are functional by tracking data from a global network of monitoring stations. There’s more information on the US government website.

Calculating location in this way is fraught with complicated problems. For example, although these satellites carry atomic clocks, the time stamps they generate can be slowed down by the earth’s atmosphere. Also, time ticks by at a slightly different speed in space, because the pull of gravity is different. So sat nav satellites have to be able to compensate for all of these small differences to give an accurate location.

Evolving Tech

Sat nav has evolved in the last few years, fuelled in part by the rise in 4G connectivity. Now, maps can be automatically updated when roads are closed, or when roadworks are in place, giving people more useful directions. Additionally, 4G is used in combination with self-driving technology to create driverless vehicle systems.

In theory, this will mean that self-driving cars will soon be able to avoid collision by constantly knowing the location of all the other cars around them.

This combination of GPS and two-way connectivity has also turned sat nav into a way to track and locate people. There’s still controversy over the use of location data by companies that track us to sell us things and serve us ads.

The one downside of all this clever tech is that it could be switched off or disrupted, and there are signs that sat nav signals are already being jammed by rogue states as a form of cyber attack. In fact, the humble sat nav is perhaps one of the most important advances of the modern world because most of us are so dependent on it being functional.

With the above in mind, there would be nothing worse than something happening to your trusty road partner. If it's a cracked screen or it's been stolen, we've got you covered.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

For many of us, life without a smartphone has become all but unimaginable. They are our prized possession, our inseparable companion - and we want to cherish and protect them accordingly.

Phone cases have become a must-have accessory for smartphone owners keen to give their devices a little extra protection against life’s bumps and spills - while, of course, making something of a fashion statement. It is fair to say that the choice in cases available now far outweighs the phones themselves, such is the variety in styles, designs and materials out there.

But the question is - which are the best? Like many things in life, answering that question is largely subjective, and depends on a combination of personal preferences and what your priorities for a phone case are. That said, there is no harm in offering some friendly advice in narrowing the choices down. So that’s exactly what we’ll aim to do here - set out what we consider to be the best phone case options for three different purposes.

Best for protection

First and foremost, people look to phone cases to add an extra layer of protection to their precious devices. After all, smartphones are not the most durable things in the world - a simple fumble can easily lead to a cracked screen, a shattered casing or a damaged camera lens, triggering an expensive repair bill.

If you really do want to wrap your phone in cotton wool (or actually, something much better), then a rugged case is the way to go. Manufactured from materials such as ionised rubber, hardened polycarbonate, aluminium and even wood, rugged cases are designed to offer robust impact protection, and are often water resistant, too. The downside is that they add a lot of bulk to your phone - great for avoiding cracks and scrapes, not so great for your pocket.

Most versatile

You are probably already familiar with the slimline plastic versions that arguably pass for the default phone case these days. They are all well and good - until you realise that the brittle plastic cracks just as easy as your phone when you drop it. In a similar style, a much more reliable option is a soft silicone case.

Offering great value, soft silicone actually offers better protection to your phone because there is a degree of ‘bounce’ in the material. Many people like the feel of the silicone in their hand and suggest it gives them better grip. For those who are keen to keep their phones slimline, ultra-thin varieties are available which add barely any noticeable bulk. And finally, silicone cases are just perfect for that other reason everyone wants a phone case - for printing whatever design it is that takes your fancy.

Best for style

Finally, we know this is dangerous territory to step into - everyone has their own views on what is and isn’t stylish, and hey, some of you out there might honestly feel that a shark-shaped day-glo case is the very definition of cool. But for a timeless look that you can’t really go wrong with, a folio case is hard to beat. Designed to look for all intents and purposes like a wallet (many even come with card slots inside), folding folio cases often come in leather (real or faux) or woven material varieties, offering a solid level of protection coupled with a tidy, sophisticated appearance.

Of course, no case is going to guarantee 100% protection for your smartphone in every circumstance. If you really do want to cover your back, check out our excellent value mobile insurance - starting at just £1.49 a month, it is cheaper than a case anyway!

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