GPS reviews, news, tips, tricks and deals
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 the prime meridian, or the point of zero longitude on the globe. For decades, GPS units have read it as a different location than the one set into the ground at Greenwich, but this week, scientists have finally figured out why. read more
Much like the more widely used Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the Differential GPS (DGPS) system was designed to help give GPS signals a boost in accuracy and integrity through the use of correction messages. DGPS has been used especially on the coasts, but is technically a nationwide system which spans the whole of the United States.
However, that might not be the case for much longer. Yesterday, a notice was posted in the Federal Register which requested public comment on the idea of shutting down more than half of the DGPS sites in the country. read more
Whether a result of increased availability, formalized FAA rules or simply the excitement of new technology, GPS World reported earlier this month that sightings of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones by manned aircraft like helicopters has increased dramatically in 2015. According to the article, there were 238 recorded sightings in all of 2014 and as of August 9, 2015 the number has already more than doubled to 650 sightings. read more
GPS City is one of the oldest online GPS resellers and the Canadian company offers a pretty wide range of GPS units from Garmin, Magellan and others. Its deals on GPS units are pretty fantastic and you can find anything from auto to outdoor handhelds, golf, fitness and marine GPS units on the online store.
Recently, GPS City announced that it has added a new way for customers to take advantage of its excellent sales. Effective immediately, customers can now check out using PayPal instead of entering card information directly to GPS City. This might not sound like much, but the extra level of protection for payments in addition to the pretty sweet sales is a pretty big deal for this company and for those of you who have been a little leery of the site in the past. read more
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 Garmin’s new Forerunner 25, a slightly upgraded version of the popular running watch released last year. read more
What if I told you that there is an inventor looking for funding for this really awesome-sounding GPS tracker? Say the campaign was partially funded on Kickstarter (by far the most reputable crowdfunding platform) and the object itself sounded pretty sweet–a GPS tracker the size of a sticker that could easily help you locate your… well, whatever you’ve stuck it to. Sounds pretty great right?
Well, what if it turned out to be a scam? read more
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 Garmin’s logo because the company announced it will be opening new physical locations in Miami soon!
Here are some other things going on in the world of GPS this week: read more
An assortment of trackables
Getting a new trackable is always exciting. First there is the allure of the physical object, art on a keychain or in the shape of a coin. These are often stunning pieces of work and you can’t help but marvel at the design or craft that has gone into making it a physical object. But after that initial excitement has disappeared, you’ll find yourself with a second hit, as you consider what to do with it.
It’s possible that you have purchased the trackable with a mission in mind, but if it’s a gift or something you bought for the design then you might finding yourself wondering whether to set it off on a mission or keep in your personal collection.
Whilst some designs are so good that you may ultimately decide that this trackable will only be discoverable at events you take it too, there is the thrill of sending a trackable out into the world and seeing how far it will travel. Will it be muggled two miles down the road from where you placed it in a cache, or will it circumvent the globe multiple times?
But if you do decide to let it go, what do you make its mission? Make it too restrictive and it’ll never move. With that in mind, here are five ideas of missions for your trackables that will keep them moving and hopefully bring you some enjoyable logs.
There are some features that are absolutely essential for GPS units, like lifetime map updates and lane junction views. But what about voice commands? Back when they were first introduced I can’t say that I was a huge fan as they were incredibly touchy. The mic couldn’t pick up voices with the AC going or music playing and don’t even think about having the window open. And even then, I felt like I was constantly shouting at my GPS.
Of course, technology has really advanced quite a bit since the early 2000s, and even my phone has a pretty decent voice recognition program now. So, what about GPS? Is voice command worth the time? We’ll take a look at the pros and cons, and then you can tell us your thoughts! read more
For me, one of the best parts of geocaching is that you never quite know exactly what you’ll come across. It’s all about the adventure and the hunt, and the thrill of finally spotting that little container is really unmatched.
However, if you want to be a successful geocacher, then having the right gear with you and being prepared is absolutely essential. Here are a few things that I always try and have on me when I’m out on the hunt, as well as a few suggestions from some fellow geocaching friends! read more
