Waypoints – July 19, 2007

Waypoints is an occasional posting of  GPS shorts from the blogosphere and beyond.

GPS in the news

• Over at GPS Tracking Systems, I covered a story about Mercedes-Benz ignoring two court orders to track a vehicles following a fatal hit and run. Thanks to Engadget for picking it up.
• Rent an RV, get a GPS.
• Using a GPS to create a corn maze.
• Using your GPS while driving may soon get you arrested in Spain.

Points of Interest (POIs)

• I’ve updated my POI resource page again, adding a link for a TomTom POI forum.
• Share POIs with Mapicurious.com. Via Garmin Developer.

GPS maps and software

• Mio C310x map updates are now available, and you can’t beat the price.
• RouteBuddy, a GPS mapping application for Macs, is up to version 1.3.
• TrainingPeaks.com releases a Mac and Windows device agent. Garmin devices are supported for both platforms.

GPS hardware

• Want to see the inside of the nuvi 200 series?
• A new heart rate monitor / GPS watch.
• Just for fun…The Hipster GPS. Via The Map Room.
• Navigating on a Nokia N800 Internet Tablet.

Tools

• Reviews of photo geocoding software iTag, Locr and two other geotagging solutions.
• Creating waypoints from the USGS Geographic Names Information System.
• ITNConv is a GPS data converter that may be especially useful for Europeans as it includes some formats more common there. Via Ogle Earth.

GPS Cell Phones

• I keep seeing lame articles talking about the demise of PNDs, due to cell phones. This one actually makes sense though.
• An updated list of Bluetooth phones compatible with the TomTom ONE XL.
• Garmin makes it easier for owners of Blackberry phones to use Garmin Mobile.
• Mobile GMaps version 1.35 has been released and it includes GMap-Track.
• Directions from your cell phone.
• Mobile social networking goes mainstream with the Loopt / Sprint partnership.
• Live Search for Windows Mobile version 2 has been released. Via Digg.

GPS for golfers

• GPS golf software for your Blackberry.
• Borland’s CEO likes the SkyCaddie.
• More on GPS for golfers.

TomTom

• An interesting take on TomTom’s Map Share. Via Digg.
• TomTom eyes the Chinese market.

Aerial imagery

• Free sources of aerial photos.
• Post-Katrina aerial imagery.

Geocaching

• Paperless caching with an iPod for Mac or Windows.
• My former hometown takes a commercial approach to geocaching.

Satellite news

• An interesting article that includes a discussion of China’s development of their own GPS, speculating on their reasons.
• The US and EU are discussing allowing GPS and Galileo to work together.
• The feds are getting ready to fund GPS III.

The business of GPS

• Broadcom finalized their acquisition of GPS chipmaker Global Locate.
• Garmin continues working on vertical integration in the European market, going after their top Spanish distributor.
• Garmin expands their operations in Oregon.

Virtual globes

• NASA’s Earth at night comes to Google Earth.
• Tour driving directions in Google Earth.
• Using geo-search in Google Maps.
• My Maps + Mapplets = Google Maps Mashups 2.0. More from the Google Earth Blog and Google Maps Mania.
• Russia on Google Maps.
• geoXtract is a geocoding application that Ogle Earth reports "takes spreadsheet data and outputs it as a Google Map or KML."
• A Virtual Earth blog. Via The Map Room.
• View KML files on Google Maps. Via Ogle Earth.
• A review of some route mapping sites for cyclists.

Updated GPS reviews

• DeLorme PN-20 review – DeLorme posts a YouTube video how to for the PN-20.
• Garmin StreetPilot c320 review – Associated Content posts a brief review of this older unit.
• Garmin StreetPilot c580 review – Rich Menga reviews this unit with MSN Direct services.
• Garmin zumo 450 review – A consumer-authored zumo 450 review has been posted at GPSNow.
• Magellan Maestro 4050 review – GPS Magazine has posted one of their typically in-depth reviews, pronouncing it "HAL 9000′s dumber, less evil cousin."
• Magellan RoadMate 3000T review – Consumer-authored reviews are being posted at Epinions.
• Mio C520 review – Apparently, I overlooked CNet’s review when I posted, so I’ve added a link.
• TomTom GO 910 review – I’ve added a link to this GpsPasSion look at the inside of a TomTom GO 910.
• TomTom ONE XL review – TrustedReviews has reviewed the European edition of the ONE XL. PC Mag chimes in from the US.
• TomTom reviews – I’ve updated my Tom Tom reviews with this comparison chart and links to TomTom forums on YourNAV, GpsPasSion and TomTomForums.com.

All the news that doesn’t fit

• BlinkGeo is a new geospatial social bookmarking site with a GPS category. Via AnyGeo. So if you see a post here that you like, go ahead, Blink me!
• Maybe we’ll see neighborhood level searches on our GPS units in the not too distant future. Could come in handy. Here’s another source of them.
• Win a SkyScout GPS planetarium.
• Slashgeo returns from the dead.
• TMC is coming to Canada.