Hands on review of the DeLorme inReach
UPDATE: The newest version of the inReach now supports both Android and iOS.
The DeLorme inReach for Android
Archives for February 2012
DeLorme inReach review
February 27, 2012 By 21 Comments
Garmin nuvi 3550LM, 3590LMT, Forerunner 910XT now shipping
February 23, 2012 By 2 Comments
UPDATE: Read my hands on review of the Garmin nuvi 3590LMT.
UPDATE 2: Read my Garmin Forerunner 910XT review.
Been hankering for a new top of the line nuvi or the latest and greatest for triathletes? Well wait no more, for they are here: read more
How widespread is GPS jamming?
February 22, 2012 By 2 Comments
The BBC is reporting on a UK study that estimates 50 to 450 instances of GPS jamming each day, and recorded 60 incidents in one location over a six month period. The researchers attributed most of these to people driving vehicles with tracking devices who, well – don’t want to be tracked. read more
My GPS won’t speak street names
February 20, 2012 By 27 Comments
I bet I’ve answered this dozens of times in our comments, so this is a long overdue post. Not that many years ago, most auto GPS units didn’t speak street names; you’d hear “turn right in 1/4 mile.” Nowadays, most models have text-to-speech capabilities and will say something like, “turn right on Oak Street in 1/4 mile.” read more
FCC kills LightSquared
February 15, 2012 By 2 Comments
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) wrote the FCC yesterday (PDF) saying they had concluded “that LightSquared’s proposed mobile broadband network will impact GPS services and that there is no practical way to mitigate the potential interference at this time.” Shortly thereafter, the FCC announced that they would “(1) vacate the Conditional Waiver Order, and (2) suspend indefinitely LightSquared’s Ancillary Terrestrial Component authority to an extent consistent with the NTIA letter.” read more
Garmin BaseCamp video tutorials
February 14, 2012 By 10 Comments
Garmin’s BaseCamp program is powerful but it can be confusing to new users. Fortunately, Garmin has posted a series of video tutorials covering most of the basics. Even the introductory video is good as it clearly explains what “My Collection” is and how the lists under it can be used. There are Mac and PC versions of the videos. I’m filing this under handhelds, although BaseCamp can be used to a certain extent with some auto units too. Here’s the Intro to BaseCamp for PC video, followed by a full list of the BaseCamp tutorials…
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Handheld GPS 201: Using online tracks for trails
February 13, 2012 By 16 Comments
One of my early experiences with GPS surprised me. I went out for a hike in Van Damme State Park, using my GPS to collect a track along the way. When I got home I transferred the track to my computer, opened it in a mapping program, and was surprised to find that my track was a lot more accurate than the USGS map of the trail. read more
LIDAR-based maps for your Garmin
February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Frequent commenter Boyd Ostroff, who keeps cranking out amazing Garmin-compatible maps, has just published a LIDAR-based map of a portion of southern New Jersey. I’m hoping we’ll see more of these for other areas, as the elevation detail is amazing.
Panasonic disabling GPS in their cameras to please China
February 2, 2012 By 3 Comments
A couple of days ago, Panasonic unveiled some new cameras with GPS for geotagging photos. Nothing surprising there. What did get my attention was this footnote:
GPS may not work in China or in the border regions of countries neighboring China. Depending on the locations, it may not be possible to correctly receive the signals from GPS satellites. In such cases, positioning may not be possible, or a significant positioning discrepancy may occur. Information measured on this unit is only a rough indication. Do not use it for technical purposes.
Top ten GPS for January 2012
February 1, 2012 By 1 Comment
It’s that time again, when we look back at our reader’s favorite reviews for the previous month, which is indicative of what many folks are researching as potential purchases. And what a month it’s been, as we have two new number ones! On the auto side, the nuvi 2595LMT knocked out the 1450LMT, which had held the number one spot since April 2011. In handhelds, the eTrex 20 is the new reigning champ, after an incredible 13 month run for the Oregon 450. All told there are nine models on the charts that weren’t there last month.
