Halacha evolves as the realities and new technologies change. Halacha is not changing but it evolves based on new realities. What used to be muttar might now be assur, or vice versa, due to changes in how the situation works.

Have you ever traveled down through southern Israel and noticed the sign warning drivers of the possibility of camels in the road?

That sign might soon become redundant.

MK Betzalel Smotritch (Habayit Hayehudi) has proposed a law that would require camel herders to tag their camels with GPS devices. The device would not direct the camel to avoid paved roads, but would warn the camel shepherd (is there an official name for that? camherd, perhaps?) that one of his camels is approaching a road.

Not quite Waze for Camels.

The law would include registering ownership of camels, criminal and financial sanctions against any camel owner whose camel was involved in an accident with a car, along with methods of enforcement.

Bedouin camel owners spoken to seem to think it is a good idea. This will protect them from loss, as camels involved in traffic accidents cause them financial loss, as well as protecting their camels from theft.
source: Mako

Of course, if they really thought this is a good idea, they could already tag their camels with GPS tracking devices and keep better track of their camels now without requiring the passage of the law.

If it minimizes traffic accidents, it is a good idea.

Another idea would be to put lighting in the roads down south so drivers can see a little bit further than the hood of the car...

Will Google kill off Waze?

I cannot imagine why Google would spend over 1 billion dollars on Waze just to kill it off. However, they continue developing their own Google Maps with GPS application, despite owning the Waze system. And that makes me wonder.

According to The Next Web, the most recent update to Google Maps for mobile devices includes the ability to calculate the quickest available route to a destination, and recalculate while en route and offer new directions if necessary.

Why continue to develop such thigns when they already own Waze that does this?

On the other hand, Waze has so many features Google Maps does not have, that I do not think too many people will consider Google Maps a viable alternative to Waze. Forgetting all the social aspects of Waze, there is the interface, the graphics, the voice giving directions, which make it much easier for a driver to follow the directions of the GPS.. rather than using Google which has a small map with a moving dot and no voice directions.

I think Waze still has a future, but I do not know if Google thinks that way.

Waze is just a great and useful app. It would be a shame to see it go for an inferior tool.

This is what happens when you rely too heavily on a GPS system.... he was fortunate there were two good people there to extricate him from a near lynching and save his life!

He is right about the road signs being unclear. I remember when I drove to Bet El (right near Ramallah) I was very confused by the road signs and by remnants of an old army checkpoint. In my situation, the soldiers at a checkpoint told me where I was going and that I should turn around. This guy was not so fortunate, but those road signs really need to be redone to avoid further situations....

This is a funny ad depicting the Exodus from Egypt with a GPS system.... enjoy



and while I am at it, I will remind you of the ad that was running for a GPS rental in Israel if you should so need one. If you mention Webads sent you, dadyGPS will give you a significant discount on your rental....

It is clear that in a life threatening situation one would be allowed to use his GPS system to navigate quicker to get a sick person to a hospital. In a life threatening situation every moment counts and therefore the GPS can be used because it helps you get to the hospital that much quicker.

The question arose when it is not a life threatening situation, such as a woman in labor (early stages let's say) or other examples where you have to get the person to the hospital but another couple of minutes will not make a difference.

Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Rav of Ramat Elchonon in Bnei Brak, was unsure of how to pasken. The question is can you use the GPS in order to minimize the driving and the "chilul shabbos" or can you not use it because that is an extra form of chilul b'yadayim - you are, in other words, performing one chilul shabbos that might not be necessary in order to minimize a second chilul shabbos that is necessary.

Rav Zilberstein sent the question to his father in law, Rav Elyashiv.

Rav Elyashiv, after weighing the options, paskened that one could use the GPS even in the situations where it is "pikuach nefesh" without the urgency (and a matter of minutes will not make a difference). His rationale was that because it is still a life threatening situation, even though it is not critical, it is still important to get to the hospital as fast as possible.

Are you coming to Israel for the holidays? Will you be driving around a lot? You might want to consider renting a GPS system. You really do not want to get lost and end up in some of the places I have ended up, let alone anywhere near where that Israeli army officer ended up last week.

Sure, he got out ok by the skin of his teeth, but think if he had a GPS system, he could have avoided the whole incident in the first place. Now he is sitting 28 days in jail for entering illegal PA territory and he could have lost his life there as well.

All that could have been avoided in one of two ways; 1. he could have looked at a map and read the road signs or 2) he could have used a GPS system

If you do not want to get lost and choose to rent a GPS system for your trips, Webads, the guys with the ads at the top right of this website, have worked out a great deal for you.

DadyGPS are the guys who do GPS rentals. If you just tell them Webads sent you, instead of paying the standard price of $15 per day (or $60 per week), you will only pay $12 per day (or $50 per week)!!

Again, the only catch is that you have to tell them webads sent you.

You can all David Borada directly at ++[972]-2-624-0447. David's email is dadygps@gmail.com for more information.

Modern technology is great; We save bundles on the phone bill. Whether you use Google Talk, Skype, or one of many such services. Whether you use VOIP services for your regular phone.
Communication has become fairly instant. Email. Messenger. Google Chat. Blogging. Downloading movies/music/software (legally of course). One million and one other ways as well.
But there is a downside as well.

My kids cannot tell time. They also cannot tie their own shoes.

This is the result of digital watches and Velcro.

I know plenty of yeshiva guys who can hardly read a page of gemara on their own. This is a result of ArtScroll.

I know plenty of people who cannot spell (typos not included). This is a result of the proliferation of sms text messaging that has developed its own "language" of shortened words. This is also the result of spellcheckers and automatic spell correcting in word processors.

While modern technology is great, it has its bad side effects.

Sure, ArtScroll has done great work opening treasures of Torah and making them available to people who otherwise would never have been able to learn a page of gemara. But all the guys who should be able to learn on their own but have been relying on ArtScroll gemaras as the easy path are now unintended roadkill.

Sure Velcro saves people time and hassle on many things, but kids do not learn to tie their shoes.

etc.

Does it matter? I do not know. What is the big deal if a kid needs to tell time by looking at his digital watch and does not ever learn to read an old fashioned timepiece? Who cares of he cannot tie his shoes? Is he missing any skills that will not allow him to survive in modern society?

Maybe I am just too old fashioned that I think these skills are important. Maybe they really are not.

I have been thinking about getting a GPS device. You know - those little machines that talk to you and tell you which way to drive so you don't get lost. It calculates the best route and helps you get to your destination in a timely fashion.

I am kind of neurotic about directions. When I get into the car to drive to a new unfamiliar destinations, I will usually take out the map and check the route. I will also do this before I get in the car. Then while we are driving I will make my wife hold the road map and follow along the route with occasionally updating me with directions.

Getting a GPS would save all that aggravation and my driving her crazy. But will it make me lose my sense of direction? Sure I occasionally get lost now, and with a GPS those days of driving around looking for a street not on the map (or with the map not available) will be long gone. But getting lost around Israel has also allowed me to see places I never otherwise would have seen.

Are all these time saving devices worth it? Do we really save time? I have read articles and studies that indicate that with all the time saving devices we have and use, our lives should be less stressful and more enjoyable. Yet, the studies say, our lives are full of stress and we have less time available than ever before.

So do I get the GPS and lose the skill of naturally getting from one place to another or do I keep on winging it every time I get behind the wheel?