Sunday, March 18, 2012

Archives for December 2012

Waypoints — December 15th, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zbZBykJIdJk

Waypoints is a weekly link roundup of (mostly) GPS related odds and ends. To get a few of the biggest stories as they break, follow me on Twitter. The lead video is via Urban Velo; check out the end of the video and you’ll see that the track isn’t quite as clean as it looks above!

GPS deals

UPDATED Sunday, December 16 – Here are some of the hottest deals we’re following right now in our GPS deals section:

read more

New Garmin Edge with Bluetooth hits the FCC

Garmin Edge with Bluetooth

Forthcoming Garmin Edge with Bluetooth?

Look what showed up on the FCC website! This appears to be a new Garmin Edge cycling unit, sporting a nice Bluetooth logo on the rear. And while the FCC documentation doesn’t say Edge, it does mention an “Edge External Power Pack.” There is no word on whether or not the wireless is of the Bluetooth Low Energy flavor, but we suspect it is. Since Bluetooth would open the door for wireless data transfer to and from some smartphone and tablets, we may also see an app announcement when it is officially rolled out.  read more

Google Maps comes to iPhone; Apple to acquire TomTom?

Google Maps for iPhone

The Google Maps app is now available for the iPhone and other iOS devices

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that Apple ditching Google Maps in the iPhone 5 in favor of their own app was widely panned this year, with GPS World dubbing it the location story of the year. And the news continues to be bad for Apple. Earlier this week Australian police warned people about using Apple maps, although that debacle may not have been entirely their fault. So with that background, here are today’s related stories: read more

NTSB recommends wrong-way detection for GPS devices

GPS wrong way warning

Can GPS receivers help prevent wrong-way collisions?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended mitigation efforts to prevent wrong-way accidents that “include better lighting, enhanced signage and roadway markings, and GPS devices that could provide a warning to alert drivers of wrong-way movements.” read more

Do you need a GPS with an electronic compass?

Electronic compass

Electronic compass display on the Garmin Montana 600

While all GPS receivers can tell where you are, entry-level models have no way of ascertaining which direction you are facing. So you have to start moving and walk a few steps at a good pace before it can accurately point you towards your destination. This is why mid-range and high-end units have an electronic compass — to show the direction you should travel even while standing still. read more

UPDATED: In the home stretch – December GPS deals

Click here for our current GPS deals

This deal has expired!

Here is a list of current GPS deals

Last updated on Sunday, December 16. We’re about to wrap up our holiday GPS deal roundups, so get ’em while they’re hot! I’ll be updating this post daily this week, with any new deals I come across, and getting rid of any that have expired. These are broken down by category; most include free shipping:

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Waypoints — December 8th, 2012

Earth at night

From a new NASA-NOAA Earth at night project

Waypoints is a weekly link roundup of (mostly) GPS related odds and ends. To get a few of the biggest stories as they break, follow me on Twitter. This week’s lead image is from a new
NASA-NOAA Earth at Night project.

GPS deals

Bargains we’re tracking in our GPS deals section:

read more

GPS tracking of… hay bales!

GPS tracking of hay bales

Even bales of hay are being tracked by GPS these days!

It seems like GPS tracking is finding its way into everything these days; even so, I was a bit surprised to see this story about a GPS tracking device being used to nab hay bale thieves. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, what with the US drought spiking hay prices to as much as $250/ton, which a single round bale can weigh. Given that, hay theft is apparently becoming rampant.

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Garmin nuvi 42/52 series – a 2013 sneak peek?

Garmin nuvi 42 main menu

Garmin nuvi 42/52 series main menu?

Information about purported Garmin nuvi 42 and 52 units is showing up several places online, and it looks like these may well be the successors to the nuvi 40/50 series. Perhaps this is our first sneak peek at the nuvi 2013 line likely to be announced in early January. read more

All about barometric altimeters

MT 600 altimeter screen

Barometric altimeter screen on the Garmin Montana 600

For folks who hike and bike in mountainous terrain, tracking elevation gain can be as (or even more) important than trail miles. But while GPS is getting very accurate in terms of horizontal positioning, it is surprisingly weak at determining elevation. While it’s a bit of an oversimplification, let’s just say that it’s primarily due to the geometry of the satellite constellation and any GPS receiver involved. Add in mountainous terrain and the situation can get worse. read more