GPS is getting an $8-billion upgrade

The United States is about to give the now nearly ubiquitous Global Positioning System an $8 billion overhaul. The improvements, which involve replacing each of the 24 aging GPS satellites, are estimated to take over a decade to complete, and will see the triangulation margin of error decrease from 20 feet to around 3 feet. The move comes as more and more devices, from phones to parking meters, are incorporating GPS units into their design. The L.A. Times estimates that there are over 1 billion GPS receivers that rely on the United States’. location system.