GPS reviews, news, tips, tricks and deals
Is there a GLONASS receiver in your future? You may be more motivated if you live at a northerly latitude. A Swedish firm, Swepos, which demands one-meter accuracy for their work, has integrated the Russian system into their operations, saying…
"It functions somewhat better at northern latitudes because its satellite orbits are located higher in the sky and we see them better than we do the GPS satellites," said Bo Jonsson, deputy head of a geodesic research unit at Swepos.
I recently came across a GPS jamming white paper (PDF) from NASA’s Space-Based Positioning Navigation & Timing (PNT) Advisory Board, which led me to other interesting documents on LightSquared, but let’s focus first on their anti-jamming recommendations, which I’ve summarized here…
Journalists continue to be snookered by already debunked hoaxes, and perhaps a few too many nights watching Dollhouse. The latest one proclaims that:
Tiny GPS microchips with your personal info can be slipped under your skin, leaving you lighter, ID tossed in the shredder.
There’s been a spate of stories recently about how we’re over-reliant on GPS, and while some threats are overblown, GPS jamming can be more serious, especially on the scale tentatively approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Wha? Read on my friend…
ST Microelectronics has announced the Teseo II chipset family, the first capable of receiving GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS signals.
As GLONASS and Galileo begin to offer global coverage, the use of multiple-positioning systems promises improved performance in difficult environments such as urban canyons, as well as greater accuracy.
Samples of the first chipset in the Teseo II family, the STA8088EX, are available now, with volume production scheduled for Q3 2011.
UPDATE: Read my hands on review of the Garmin GTU 10.
Garmin has announced their entry into the GPS tracking market with the Garmin GTU 10 GPS locator and web-based Garmin Tracker™. The small (3”x1.3”x.8”), lightweight (1.7 oz.) and waterproof device can be used to track pets, kids, endurance racers, construction equipment – you name it.
After a fairly successful round of predictions in 2009, I took a real drubbing this year. But glutton for punishment that I am, here comes another batch, though I am trying to be a bit more cautious. On a side note I’m going to have to start doing this post in early December, as multiple companies have already shared their CES news under embargo. So tight-lipped Garmin dominates this year’s predictions!
So Santa was nice to you, huh? Well, we’ve got some tips to help you get more fun out of your new gadget. Whether you’ll be using it on the road or in the backcountry, we’ve got you covered. Here are some posts that you might find helpful…
Ouch! Three Russian GLONASS satellites carried atop a Proton rocket (pictured above) crashed into the Pacific after veering off course by eight degrees. It is believed that they went down near Hawaii. Apparently rocket separation failed to occur until a higher than planned altitude.
UPDATE: Read my hands on review of the Garmin GTU 10.
Well, well, look what showed up on the FCC website this morning. With the GTU 10, Garmin apparently has a GSM/GPRS tracking device up their sleeve. While they’ve offered up commercial fleet tracking solutions in the past, bundled with their navigators, this is the first time they’ve produced a discrete remote GPS tracking device (at least as far as I’m aware).
