Waypoints is an occasional posting of GPS-related odds and ends.
GeocachingOnline.com
I’d like to start out by extending a big welcome to our newest sponsor, GeocachingOnline.com. They have an extensive directory of geocaching resources that is well worth checking out. Thanks for helping support GPS Tracklog!
GPS hardware
- An Australian site implies that the Magellan Triton series will work with existing MapSend products like BlueNav Marine Charts.
- A Garmin nuvi 760 video demo.
- Win an eTrex Summit HC or other cool outdoor gear. Via Garmin Blog.
- CNet’s top five navigation systems are the Garmin nuvi 660, Magellan Maestro 4040, Mio DigiWalker C520, TomTom GO 720 and HP iPaq rx 5900. Via Digg.
- Garmin discusses the "power" compatibility feature on the new Edge 705.
- ViaMichelin rolls out the X-970 in North America.
- MapMyIndia tackles a huge market. Via Digg.
- A DIY GPS receiver. Via Digg.
Garmin .img maps
- Where to get free Garmin .img maps.
- And how to get .img files into your GPS using MapSource.
Software notes
- How to convert Open Street Map (.osm) data to .gpx or .img formats.
- GpsPasSion has posted a nice guide to geocoding photos.
Garmin updates
- Looks like the Garmin firmware update was only a partial fix for the eTrex odometer bug.
- Garmin has posted a firmware update for the nuvi 350.
- Garmin has also posted a MapSource update.
Navigation data and POIs
- I posted a week ago that the Mio C720t
would sport 12 million POIs. I’m beginning to see such numbers bandied
about for cell phone navigators too. Investors Business Daily looks at POIs
and provides a little more detail on this number, saying that "Navteq
has 1.7 million core points of interest in 63 categories and
about 13 million extended points of interest in more than 80
categories." Via All Points Blog. - Tele Atlas strikes a deal with MAD MAPS to use their scenic tour data.
- AND, a navigation data firm active outside North America, launches an online editable map. Via LBS Zone.
- NAVTEQ strikes a deal that will get them more real-time traffic data.
Aerial imagery
- Aerial photography with a microdrone! Via BlinkGeo.
- Aerial imagery documents Burmese human rights abuses.
- Virtual Earth gets an imagery update.
- So does Google Earth.
GPS and cell phones
- Disney gets out of the GPS kid tracking market.
- The AT&T Tilt’s GPS feature is unlocked.
Virtual globes
- Can’t find your downloaded tracks in Google Earth? A possible solution.
- A discussion forum within Google Earth.
- Microsoft Live improvements are coming.
All the rest
- Why use GPS instead of the earth’s magnetic field? Via Digg.
- Local search has a long way to go before its that useful.
- TomTom markets Map Share.
- I’m not a coder, but some of you might be interested in the geo microformat.
About Rich Owings
There’s been a lot going on with OpenStreetMap (OSM) lately, namely a significant change in their API as well as the ongoing import of US Census TIGER data, which is giving the US great baseline map coverage.
I have actually developed a program that will create auto-routing maps from OSM data (in Polish Format, for input into cGPSMapper). However, it’s written in XSLT, and it doesn’t handle more than a tiny file, so I’m working on rewriting it in Java.
Karl,
That sounds really interesting. Please keep me posted on your progress. It would be a wonderful tool.