Waypoints is a weekly link roundup of (mostly) GPS related odds and ends. To get many of these stories as they break, follow me on Twitter.
Got WAAS?
There are a lot of happy Garmin Dakota and Oregon owners today, following release of beta firmware for those units. The majority of testers are finally reporting successful WAAS acquisition, though you may find that it takes 10 minutes or so the first time. This is a beta release, and while I haven’t heard of it breaking anything, it does happen. Here’s the links:
Other firmware releases this week
GPS in the news
- Video of the GPS IIF launch
- FAA: Planes must have GPS-based equipment; via @gatorguy2
- Next generation search and rescue system to rely on GPS satellites
- This week’s edition of “My GPS made me do it”
- A new Waypoints feature? “Google Maps made me do it” via @ilovepemmican
- My Tracks goes open source
- Google Maps to review user edits of unclaimed business listings
DeLorme
- This DeLorme blog post includes a new PN-60w video
- Good discussion of DeLorme’s SPOT Communicator vs. PLBs
Garmin
- Consumer Reports is saying that the Garmin nuvi 1100 will be a Walmart exclusive
- Garmin compatible land ownership maps for the Western US; free to use on your PC, for sale to use on your GPS
- Another positive T-Mobile Garminfone review, which is due June 9 Garmin rider accused of doping by Landis
The business of GPS
- Dash Express service ends
- This post hits TomTom on their Lifetime definition, causing me to look at Garmin’s lifetime traffic conditions, which appears tied to the traffic receiver rather than the unit
- SiRFatlasV chipset announced
- Navman set to exit the market
- Nav N Go renews agreement with Tele Atlas
- Microsoft Patent Granted for Encoding Geospatial or Other Data as Images
- Nokia and Yahoo buddy up on maps and more
Just geo
- Time-Lapse Video of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
- Use a map to commit a crime, you’re gonna have to do more time
- TopOSM – An Open Street Map Based Topographic Map
- California judge doesn’t understand the difference between (geo)data and software
Miscellany
- TomTom study on traffic in US National Parks
- Dell Tablet to Ship with Google Maps Navigation
- Pocket GPS World reviews Apple iPad 3G
- IBM seeks patent for intelligent traffic lights; via @gatorguy2
- I often see questions about data conversion, so…Convert a spreadsheet into a KML file and geocoded CSV file
- Marketwatch: GeoEye Ripe for Buyout, Merger
GPS reviews
I’ve updated these review and resource pages with the following links:
- Magellan eXplorist GC – Review by Northeast Hunting
About Rich Owings
I have an Oregon 550. I try the 3.51 firmware. It has a big bug! The POI Search menu is halting.