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.

LightSquared

• Government agencies say LightSquared interferes with GPS
• WaPo and the KC Star weigh in
• 66 House members write FCC about their concerns 
• FCC Chairman gets in dig at GPS industry; via All Points Blog
• Local groups of farmers beginning to rise up against LightSquared

Garmin

• Garmin’s recent history of tweaking the hardware on handhelds
• Garmin may be after Navigon’s OEM contracts
• Garmin GPSMAP 62s(t)c manual shows up at FCC; expect a security certificate warning if you follow that link
• Version 2.0 of free topo maps for compatible Garmin receivers – Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota

TomTom

• Unannounced VIA 1400 and 1500 (not 14×5 or 15×5) models show up sans Mexican maps; I smell Black Friday specials
• Intern at TomTom
• TomTom high-speed multi-charger reviewed 

Updates

• Garmin Forerunner 310XT v 3.70
• Garmin nuLink 23xx v 2.40
• Magellan eXplorist 510 v 5.91
• Magellan eXplorist 610 v 5.92
• Magellan eXplorist 710 v 5.93
• Hat tip to Allory for several of these

GPS in the news

• Remember that widely linked to New Scientist article on GPS disruption in San Diego? It could have been exaggerated or misleading
• GPS can detect underground nuclear tests
• File under ubiquitous – 2 billion GPS chipsets per year by 2016
• Operation Waypoint (no relationship to this weekly link roundup supports GPS for troops
• Kentucky legislation outlaws inputting info into GPS while driving
• GPS alternative – have your kid memorize the map!

Geocaching

• Really now, is geocaching an extreme sport?
• Geocaches get to announce bands for festival

GPS tracking

• Bipartisan Geolocational Surveillance and Privacy (GPS) Act advances
• GPS trackers may lead researchers to cause of cuckoo deaths

Going mobile

• Magellan updates RoadMate for iPhone app, adding Yelp, Google Local search and free lifetime map updates and traffic
• New location-based capabilities in iOS5
• Wanna take an Android GPS survey?
• GpsPasSion likes Locus for Android 
• A GIS app for the iPhone
• Trapster caves on DUI checkpoints

Just geo

• Hundreds of free geospatial PDF books
• OSM asking all contributors to accept new licensing terms

All the news that doesn’t fit

• DC Rainmaker’s 2011 sport device GPS accuracy test – parts one and two
• NAVTEQ debuts TPEG-based traffic services
• Mapping property lines with your GPS and ExpertGPS
• Google Maps starts rolling out live transit updates
• Ford previews car to car communication
• NAVTEQ supplies maps and POIs for Fujifilm FinePix F550EXR and FinePix XP30 

GPS deals

Here are some bargains we’re currently tracking on our GPS deals site:

• TomTom ONE 130-S on sale for $59.99
• Connected Garmin nuvi 1690 for $129.99
• DeLorme PN-60 for $249.95 ($220 for REI members)
• $50 Garmin Approach golf GPS rebate

Updated GPS reviews

I’ve updated these review and resource pages with the following links:

• Garmin Forerunner 405CX — Hangry Pants reviews this runner’s watch