GPS reviews, news, tips, tricks and deals
From guiding our military service men and women to finding your way around downtown LA, tracking your afternoon jog, or even deciding how far the green is on a golf course in Scotland, GPS has become a part of everyday life in more ways than most people realize. And Friday July 17, GPS is officially celebrating the 20th anniversary of FOC or full operational capability. read more
Image from Fox News
Today I have yet another story of people paying more attention to the soothing GPS voice than their own common sense. In Cuyohoga Falls, Ohio, visitors have been seen driving along the train tracks and blaming bad directions from GPS units.
According to Fox News, visitors claim that when you drive down a certain road in West Cuyahoga Falls, the GPS will tell you to turn right, and drivers who do turn right on to the railroad tracks. There has actually been one reported incident of a train hitting a car, although no one was injured in the accident. Many of the incidents happen at night. read more
Much like computers, cell phones and the internet, GPS is one of the more important transformative technologies of the 2oth century which will, no doubt, continue to change and shift for years to come. Since its first release in 1995, GPS satellites have been used across the world for various navigation and tracking purposes. But, where exactly did GPS come from? read more
In April, Garmin introduced its first ever dash cam/GPS unit combination aimed to help drivers not only find their way, but protect their vehicles via video recording of incidents. Well, it looks like the GPS giant has reset its sights on a group that spends even more time on the road than most: truckers. The dezlCam LMTHD is a trucker-specific GPS device that not only includes a built-in dash cam and lifetime maps and traffic, but also a slew of features designed to display information that truckers need most. read more
Among cyclists, Garmin’s Edge line is one of the more popular choices for tracking essential data like distance, time and route. But, until now, Garmin’s choices have all been a little bulky and not always suited to smaller bikes or anyone looking for something simple and efficient to track their ride. Well, today Garmin has released two new Edge cycling computers which the GPS giant is claiming are the world’s smallest GPS cycling computers.
Coming in at just over 1.6 inches in both length and width and weighing just 25 grams, the Edge 20 and the Edge 25 are meant for the recreational cyclist who doesn’t necessarily need a huge elaborate screen or setup but instead is looking to enjoy the ride. read more
Garmin seems to be focusing on its aviation sector as of late, and released yet more news this week that should make Canadian pilots quite happy. Now, NAV CANADA aeronautical charts will cover most of Canada, providing valuable information like radio frequencies, airspace boundaries and landmark information to helicopter and private pilots navigating through Canada.
Additionally, Garmin now will be offering helicopter route charts for Canada as well as several major metropolitan areas in the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. These charts will show information tailored specifically to helicopter pilots and will show airways and routes, heliports with associated frequency and lighting capabilities, NAVAID information and obstructions as well as pictorial symbols, roads and geographical features. read more
A surprising number of pilots and navigators use Apple devices (specifically iPads) in conjunction with traditional GPS devices. However, AIN online released a report last Friday that several GPS manufacturers including Garmin, Dual Electronics and Bad Elf reported that the most recent Apple update, 8.3, has caused widespread compatibility issues with external GPS receivers such as the Bad Elf GPS. read more
Garmin has a number of different markets for its GPS technology and one that we don’t really talk about all that often is aviation. In addition to the recent announcement of Garmin’s new aviator watch, Garmin has also updated its Garmin Pilot app recently. Available to both Android and iOS, the Android version recently gained a few additional features including obstacle and terrain information, simulator support and new upgrade options.
Because I don’t actually think very many of you really utilize this specific GPS market, I’m not going to go too much into the details of the update. However, here are some of the more significant upgrades and updates for the program: read more
Garmin announced earlier this week that it would soon be releasing a new aviator watch to succeed the popular D2 Pilot Watch. This second-generation wrist-worn GPS navigator improves on the previous model by adding several new features and lots of style. Called the Garmin D2 Bravo Pilot Watch, this sleek GPS watch does just about everything you could want it to and then some.
“Whether you’re a pilot looking for a back-up navigator to supplement your flying with valuable alerts and flight plan data or you’re an aviation enthusiast interested in a practical timepiece to view valuable in-flight information, D2 Bravo encompasses a number of exclusive features tailored to those living a jetsetter lifestyle,” said Carl Wolf, vice president of aviation marketing and sales in a statement. read more
The United States military and the Department of Defense have expressed numerous concerns about the fragility of GPS signals and how susceptible they are to jamming and blocking attempts. With how much the military relies on GPS for navigational and offensive purposes, it’s not really all that surprising that at the U.S. Department of Defense Lab Day on May 14, researchers from the Communications Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) debuted a new technology that will help soldiers determine their location without GPS signals. read more
