Waypoints – December 9, 2007

Waypoints is a weekly linkfest of GPS related odds and ends, tips and tidbits, flotsam and jetsam…

GPS in the news

• Travel icon Arthur Frommer just saw his first GPS in action. Seriously. Via All Points Blog.
• GPS manufacturers to use game themes. Not really. Via Digg.
• British towns say take us off your GPS maps!
• GPS used to map California’s Mount Diablo, a prominent peak in the SF Bay Area. A couple of years ago, my wife and I circumnavigated Mt. Diablo on mountain bikes,and I posted about using GPS tracks to plan the trip.
• Hacking an NYC taxi GPS.

GPS firmware and software

• Garmin has posted new firmware for the nuvi 350, 360, 370, 750, 760, and 770, and for the StreetPilot 2820.
• Garmin has also posted a new version of MapSource.
• And Garmin has posted new chipset Type G firmware, which appears to be for the SiRFstar III chipset. Thanks Zane!
• They’ve also posted a new version of their WebUpdater for Mac.
• Magellan has posted map and/or firmware updates for the RoadMate 800, 860T and 3000T/3050T. Via Allory.
• A KML to GPX converter. Via Free Geography Tools.
• Buy National Geographic TOPO! and get NG Adventure magazine for free.
• Global Mapper 9.01 has been released.

GPS hardware

• Will we soon see new Mio GPS models stateside?
• Jeep releases one ugly GPS.
• I couldn’t resist posting this Garmin nuvi video review. Just for fun. Best wishes for the happy couple. What a great honeymoon!
• TomTom moves into Brazil with the ONE 3rd edition and ONE XL.
• A novel UMPC with GPS.
• ArsTechnica reviews the Nokia N810 Internet tablet. Via Digg.

Maps

• How to be sure you have the most recent maps on your TomTom.
• Sometimes a map is a mystery. Via BlinkGeo.

Traffic

• TomTom HD traffic coming to the U.S.?
• Traffic via anonymous cell phone data.
• Airsage is also a player in this game.
• Challenges in providing traffic data.
• Insight into a NAVTEQ traffic studio. Via BlinkGeo.

Road data companies

• NAVTEQ to power the Lowrance XOG.
• Details on route calculation algorithms, etc.
• Is it really hard to provide feedback to NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas?
• Nokia gets the go ahead from the U.S. to acquire NAVTEQ.

Data and imagery

• The resolution isn’t great (10 meters per pixel), but here’s a post on some free aerial imagery of Canada.
• GIS data for Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Hawai’i.

GPS and cell phones

• Details of the Garmin / Palm application.
• Verizon Wireless to support Google Android. Via BlinkGeo.
• A review of the BlackBerry Curve 8310. Via Digg.

Virtual globes

• Another way to track Santa.
• Maybe I missed the first 50 things to do with Google Maps mashups.
• Cache Google Earth for use offline. Via Groundspeak.
• Google Earth gets an update.