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.
Satellite news
- Galileo IOV Satellites Successfully Launched into Orbit
- Watch the replay of the liftoff
- Inside one of Europe’s new Galileo navigation satellites (video); via @GPSGIS_Eric
- Galileo fact file
- Second GPS IIF Satellite Finally Set Healthy
- A good overview of where GLONASS has been and where it’s going
Updates
- Garmin updates since last week include the Edge 800, eTrex 20/30, nuvi 23xx and 37xx, Oregon x50 and Rino 6xx
- Discussion of Oregon x50 v 5.20 update which fixes a problem that was causing troubles for geocachers
- DC Rainmaker on the latest Edge 800 update
- Discussion of nuvi 37xx v 4.50 which includes ability to import .gpx routes for use in Trip Planner
GPS tracking
- GPS makes strange bedfellows: ACLU, a Muslim-American group and gun-rights activists urge Supreme Court to rule against warrantless GPS tracking
- GPS-enabled emergency call device targets those with incapacitating medical conditions
- GPS-enabled shoe a long time coming
Going mobile
- Really? The Galaxy Nexus barometric altimeter is there to speed GPS acquisition?
- NAVIGON 4.0 for Android
- Find My Friends (iOS 5) versus Google Latitude (Android)
- Crowdsourced navigation accelerates with Waze, Skobbler and Navfree
iOS
- iPhone 4S gets GLONASS support; via @PocketGPSWorld
- TomTom for iPhone v 1.9 released; optimized for iPad
- iOS 5 compatibility issues with TomTom; users with HD traffic are getting a 30 day extension
- A Skobbler review
Have a GPS Halloween
Intelligent cars
- IEEE Experts Say Existing Intelligent Transportation Technologies Could Eliminate 90 Percent of Traffic Accidents
- GM predicts commercial availability of self-driving cars by 2020; via @TomTom
- Google’s autonomous golf carts
GPS in the news
- Forthcoming Dirty Projectors album features Magellan-inspired song
- Indiana getting seismic network to monitor quakes
The business of GPS
- Motorola announces fitness device
- DC Rainmaker on the Motorola MOTOACTV
- TomTom moves into new markets with massive data trove
- TomTom buys out joint venture partner in India
- Rand McNally tackles the fleet business
LightSquared
- Farm Groups to FCC: Study LightSquared’s Impact on GPS
- LightSquared and JAVAD showcase their fixes
- LightSquared claims conflict of interest by Trimble investor
- LightSquared and Trimble boost lobbying dollars
- Falcone, LightSquared Decline Senator’s Request for Records
- JAVAD GNSS Issues Statement on LightSquared Filter
Just geo
- Best-ever topographic map of Earth released
- A more to the the point geo-geek version of the story
All the news that doesn’t fit
- Smackdown: How various navigation tools are dealing with downtown Columbus, Ohio construction
- East Bay Regional Park District unveils geocaching guidelines
- Experiences with a Garmin GPS in Europe
GPS deals
These are some bargains we’re currently tracking at our GPS deals site:
- Magellan ToughCase for iPhone for $79.99
- Garmin nuvi 2350LMT for $156.37
- Truck & RV-friendly Garmin dezl 560LMT for $399.99
- Garmin Forerunner 310XT $50 rebate
- Garmin nuvi 1250 for $79.95
Updated GPS reviews
I’ve updated these review and resource pages with the following links:
- Garmin Oregon 450 – Its Not About The Numbers reviews this perennial best seller
- Magellan eXplorist 710 – Trusted Reviews checks out this high-end handheld
About Rich Owings
