A new book titled Flying for GPS published by Len Jacobson explores the beginning and development of the global positioning system and commercial air travel during his 50-year career. The book covers GPS’s evolution from large and expensive military gear to today’s tiny GPS chips located in most cell phones. Unlike many GPS chronicles, Jacobson’s book is about user equipment more than satellites and technical explanations and outlines how a system originally intended for military aircraft has become a utility of everyday life. read more
New Book Outlines Beginning of GPS
July 2, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Geocaching Abroad
July 2, 2014 By 1 Comment
Have you ever looked at your geocaching statistics on the Geocaching.com website, found yourself clicking on the maps tab and feeling disappointed in the number of places you’ve cached in the world? Or you have you got an upcoming holiday and are wondering whether there are any caches you could do whilst on vacation?
Either way, geocaching abroad is both an exciting and terrifying prospect. So if you are thinking you might indulge this summer, before you grab your GPS, suntan lotion and sombrero, consider these handy tips. read more
2014 Webby Award Winner for Best Use of GPS
July 2, 2014 By Leave a Comment
One of the more prestigious Internet awards, Webby, has given the app Glympse the Best Use of GPS award for 2014. Glympse, which we listed as one of the best apps for Android in a previous article, allows users to send realtime updates of their location to friends and family for meetups. The service is fast and secure, as users can specify how long they wish to let their location be tracked and who can view it. The app doesn’t require any additional software or setup, and friends or family can check in on their tablet, desktop or phone if you send them your link. The app itself is available on Android, iPhone and Windows Phones and is free to use. Surprisingly, it doesn’t seem to have any support for actually giving navigation directions. read more
GPSMAP 8000 Series Gets New Features with Update
July 1, 2014 By Leave a Comment
The GPSMAP 8000 Glass Helm Series becomes more streamlined with new software updates.
Garmin has announced a new free software update available for the GPSMAP 8000 Glass Helm Series that expands their GCV 10 compatibility, networked sonar capabilities, introduces the Garmin Helm for Android devices and more.
This update will provide the Glass Helm Series the ability to utilize the Garmin GCV 10 sonar black box and provides anglers with DownVü and SideVü scanning sonar. This update also allows for multiple sonar blackboxes on the same system as a network, allowing users to switch between GSD 26 CHIRP sonar and GCV 10 scanning sonar effortlessly. read more
Stay Organized with GPS Location Based Reminders
July 1, 2014 By Leave a Comment
EasilyDo is one of many apps designed to help organize your life with location-based services.
If you are anything like me, there are days when I have the memory of a goldfish and end up making multiple trips to the same places and forgetting things anyway. Fortunately, I must not be the only one, because there are several apps available for iPhone and Android that are designed to send location-based reminders using GPS. Need to pick up milk? We now have an app for that. read more
Auto GPS vs. Smartphone: Do you need both?
July 1, 2014 By 9 Comments
With so many apps and options available to customize your smartphone into a handheld wonder, it may seem like the dedicated GPS devices are being replaced by their smaller multitasking cousins. But are smartphones really better than more traditional GPS devices? We’ll take a look and you can decide. read more
Track Your Luggage with a GPS Tag
June 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment
POM is off to a slow start on Kickstarter; one of many new GPS trackers trying to break into the growing market.
Anyone who has travelled can relate to the lost luggage worries, but with the increasing number of GPS luggage tags, it may soon be a thing of the past. The Airline Transportation Industry reported that in 2012 there were 26 million bags lost. And, according to the same baggage report, roughly 68% of the lost bags were due to mishandling during a transfer or a failure to be loaded on the plane. It may seem like a lot, but the report goes on to explain how even those staggering numbers are nearly half the statistics reported for 2007. read more
GPS Deal: Garmin Forerunner 910XT Rebate
June 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Posted June 30, 2014 Garmin is offering a $50 mail-in rebate on the Garmin Forerunner 910 XT. The rebate is valid on purchases made from May 16, 2014 through July 31, 2014. Submissions must be postmarked by August 31, 2014. Limit two rebates per customer. See the PDF Rebate form for details.
- Garmin Forerunner 910XT Review; See Amazon for comparison
Vechicle Regulations for GPS in the Works
June 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Navigating with a GPS during trips instead of an atlas has become more and more popular–but is it a risk for already-distracted drivers? As technology becomes more common, more and more people are concerned about distracted drivers becoming a danger to those around them. Phones are the usual culprit for such worries, but now the Department of Transportation has begun to point to GPS devices as well. read more
First Commercial Handheld GPS Celebrates 25 Years
June 29, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Weighing in at 1.5 lbs and taking 4 minutes to calculate latitude/longitude, this beast is currently on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Twenty-five years ago this month, Magellan released the first handheld GPS available to the public. The futuristically named Nav 1000 was primarily marketed to boaters in 1989. The handheld unit measured 8.75″ x 3.5″ x 2.25″ and weighed 1.5 pounds. The device was designed to be waterproof, non-corrosive, buoyant and constructed of a durable compound to withstand shock, vibration, humidity and temperature extremes. read more
