Sunday, March 18, 2012

Archives for January 2017

Garmin’s New Fenix 5 Series Features 3 Different Sizes

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The annual Consumer Electronics show is this week and Garmin has announced a slew of new releases which we’ll talk about in the coming days. Without a doubt, the one that has caught the most attention is the new fēnix 5 series which was announced earlier this week. A popular brand in Garmin’s fitness wearables line, the new fēnix 5 is making a splash as the first time Garmin has released the same watch in multiple sizes. The series includes the fēnix 5, fēnix 5S, and fēnix 5X, all of which should be available in the next few months.

From what it looks like, the fēnix 5 and fēnix 5S are essentially the same, with only a few millimeters difference in watch face size. The fēnix 5X is a little bigger than the fēnix 5 and comes with a handful of additional features (and a slightly bigger price tag). However, we’ll take a look at what all of the fēnix watches have in common first.

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This Week in GPS — January 6, 2017

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This week in GPS is a weekly link roundup of (mostly) GPS related odds and ends, from GPS Tracklog and other places around the Web. This week’s featured image is an airplane in honor of the awesome new app Flyover Country, which debuted recently. With this app, you can check out geological features while on a flight, using GPS. Super cool! Here are some other things going on in the world of GPS this week: read more

New CA Driving Law Requires Phones to be Mounted

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It’s now illegal to use an unmounted phone for GPS in California. Just don’t mount it like this.

As you probably know, I prefer automotive GPS devices over using a cell phone when you’re navigating in the car. Not only do auto GPS devices tend to function better (as that’s their one and only purpose) but it’s just overall safer. Using a phone for navigation can be distracting, but it is convenient, so I kind of get it. But here’s the problem: how do you tell who is staring at the phone reading a map and who is staring at a text (or god forbid, texting back) instead of watching the road? And, is there really that much of a difference in attention?

A new California law says no. You might remember a few years ago that California made it illegal to hold your phone while operating a vehicle, and there are multiple other laws for talking and texting in a car. GPS, however, was sort of a loophole to this, and many people were pulled over, only to claim that they were using Google Maps on their device. However, a new law states that as of 2017, phones must be mounted to be used for GPS. read more

GPS Smartwatch for Kids Encourages Creativity

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Kids GPS trackers are, for the most part, a dime a dozen. We’ve written about several different ones and, much like pet trackers, they are basically all trying to fix the same problems and all have the same solutions. However, the new POMO Waffle is a little different and, of all the GPS trackers that I’ve read about, this is the first I actually would consider purchasing for a child.

At its core, the POMO Waffle is a kids smartwatch with the sort of helicopter parent GPS functionality that all kids smartwatches come with, including the ability to set safe zones and track where your child has been via an app. However, unlike other GPS watches, the POMO Waffle actually has some really cool features that will make kids want to wear it, and will actually help them learn, play, and stay safe.

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Artist Hides Work in Central Park, Sells GPS Coordinates

When most people go to an art gallery or an art studio, it is with the intention of viewing and perhaps even purchasing the art. However, a New York artist has an entirely different concept for his art shows: selling art that has been geocached and providing clues and coordinates to the actual artwork. The project, called Freecaching, combines thriftiness, art, and and geocaching.

“Imagine if Geocaching’s use of GPS technology, concealment, and open space were applied to passive storage rather than active treasure hunting,” Brad Troemel. the artist behind the experiment, wrote in a press release. “Through Freecaching you could leave art physically protected and concealed in an uninhabited area outside a major center of arts commerce and provide buyers with the exact latitude and longitude of a purchase…  Collectors could choose to pick their work up or just as comfortably leave it concealed and protected outdoors, knowing with confidence that no one but they and the artist have knowledge of where the work is located.

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Simplifying Buying a Handheld GPS

geocache GPS use

When you star researching to buy your first handheld GPS, it can be a little daunting. There are so many different options, plenty of advanced features (including some like a camera which seem kind of useless at first) and often multiple versions of the same unit with different numbers, slightly different features, and a huge difference in price. So how do you pick?

Turns out, it doesn’t have to be as complicated as you think. Obviously you have an idea of about what you want to spend, and that’s the simplest way to narrow down your choices. Then, there are really only three things you need to decide: read more

Garmin Wearables Were Bestsellers this Holiday Season

Garmin vivofit fitness tracker

The GPS industry has been changing for several years, but no matter what everyone says or the dire predictions, Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom are still around. Every industry goes through ups and downs and some major changes, and from all appearances, it seems that Garmin has come out ahead in the game.

In fact, Garmin held two of the top three spots on the “Holiday Best Sellers” list on Amazon this 2016 season. Although there weren’t any stats for how many sold, that’s still pretty good news for a company that most, a couple of years ago, were convinced was on its way out.

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