Archives for August 2015

Cyclists don’t have any shortage of options for GPS equipment to help find their way, but sometimes when you’re trying to navigate through busy city streets, the last thing you want it a complicated device hooked up to your handlebars with a million different numbers and statistics included. Those cycling GPS devices are great on the trail, but urban cyclists might find it a bit much.

However, a company called CycleLabs launched a Kickstarter recently for a unique device called SmartHalo which not only provides simple and easy to understand navigation, but also a host of other connected features. It basically turns your bike into a smart bike and provides additional security features. read more

Researchers have been inventing new ways to utilize GPS for pedestrians for years. From haptic feedback placed inside of shoes or clothes to canes for the sight-impaired, there have been a number of solutions to the problem of how to get directions without looking at a screen or a map.

Yale researchers have developed what I think is probably one of the cooler methods for navigation. Called the Animotus, this 3D printed cube is designed to move and twist to indicate to the users which direction to walk. When users reach their destination, the cube twists back to its original shape. read more

GPS is probably one of the most frequently used governmental technologies of our decade. It is used by millions of people worldwide on a daily basis for everything from getting directions to tracking loved ones or even setting phone notifications based on location. Most people don’t even stop to think about everything that goes on behind the scenes. GPS simply works. But, what if it didn’t?

Pretty much all GPS technologies are vulnerable to GPS spoofing–or the act of sending fake signals to a GPS device to trick it into believing that it is located somewhere else. But, until now GPS spoofers were a little on the expensive side to create or purchase and so the threat, while there, was minimal for most devices. But, Chinese security researchers demonstrated recently that with the right know-how anyone could build a GPS spoofer. All you need is around $300 and some coding knowledge. read more

Just over a week ago a new project launched on Kickstarter that I wanted to talk about a little bit. Generally speaking, I tend to be a little wary of Kickstarter projects and I strongly recommend that all of my readers be the same. However, this particular project, called LightBug, has a lot of really fantastic possibilities should it receive the funding that the founders are looking for. At the very least, it is definitely worth a look. read more

Whether you’re talking about a SPOT device, or an automotive GPS device designed simply to get you from point A to point B, sometimes I wonder if technology doesn’t encourage recklessness more than anything. While I want to be quick to add that there’s nothing wrong with using technology (heck, I make my living on technology) it has to be used in the right manner and with the right mindset. read more