The DeLorme inReach is the first affordable 2-way Satellite Communicator on the market. When you go camping, boating or traveling, you may think your cell phone will be there for you to get you out of an emergency situation. But only 10% of the world actually has cell phone coverage. Designed for remote or high-risk environments, the inReach uses the Iridium global satellite network, which means it will work from the North Pole to the South Pole and everywhere in between. The inReach offers an SOS button that will contact emergency services for quick help. It also features a bread crumb feature that will map your waypoints to aid rescuers and allow your loved ones back home to track your progress and even ping the unit to see your current location. The inReach can even interface via Bluetooth with your iPhone or Android phone to send SMS messages, email, post to Facebook and twitter. Priced at $249.95, with annual satellite subscriptions beginning at $9.95 per month. Four-month seasonal plans are also available.

Filed in categories: GPS, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: GPS, Outdoors

DeLorme inReach lets you go off the grid without going off the grid originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 25, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

Ever been looking through your photos, looked at one and thought ” That’s a great shot, where the hell did I take that?”. Ever wanted a record of exactly where you went on your holiday and in exactly which place your took a photo?  Well geotagging your photos is what you need to do.  Basically longitude and latitude information is put into your photo’s EXIF information and many programs or picture hosting sites can read this information and display where you took the photo on a map.

Some cameras these days come with GPS built into them, but you probably don’t really want to have to upgrade you camera gear just to get GPS information, and it doesn’t help if you’ve got multiple cameras (doesn’t everyone have multiple cameras? ). You could spend the extra money and buy a separate data logger however the good thing is that most smartphones or tablets have a GPS built into it these days, and using the right software you can use your device to geotag with the equipment you already have.  While this article is  based on Android devices, all you need is the right data logger program on your iOS or Windows or other OS device to make use of the tutorial.

There’s two software components to the process of geotagging your photos. You need a program that will talk to the GPS on your device and log GPS position data at specific time periods, and then a program that will be able to read and match the time stamp on your photo’s EXIF information with the longitude and latitude at that time and then write this information into the photo’s EXIF data. One important thing to note is that for the most accurate data, the time on your device needs to exactly match the time on your camera. The best thing is that you don’t have to spend big dollars on these packages; all the applications I’m using here are free.

GPS Status and Toolbox

Before I go into the two packages, if you’re playing with the GPS on your Android device then one of the most useful utilities you can have is GPS Status and Toolbox. This little app shows you a graphical representation of which GPS satellites you can see and which ones you’re locked onto. It can also help in managing A-GPS data,a small file that can assist in getting faster satellite locks. If I’m having GPS issues, this is always the first app I reach for. You can click on any of the pictures to see bigger versions

Open GPS Tracker

Open GPS Tracker is the data logging app that needs to be loaded onto your Android Device. When you start recording, your latitude and longitude is logged into a file at certain time intervals. Depending on your circumstances, Open GPS has 4 different logging intervals.  So if you’re walking or working in a small area, you can probably get away with larger time intervals; if you were taking pictures while in  a moving car you would want shorter intervals. Shorter intervals will give you more accurate tracking of path, but do note that it will also have an impact on the battery life of your device.

• Fine : GPS updates every second after at least 5 meters movement
• Normal : GPS updates every 15 seconds after at least 10 meters movement
• Coarse : GPS updates every 30 seconds after at least 25 meters movement
• Global : Use GPS and WiFi signals to triangulate every 5 minutes after at least 500 meter movement

If there’s no signal for a specified time, an alarm will sound so you know that you’re not logging anymore.  There’s a plethora of other options as well, but for the purposes of geotagging, it’s really only the logging interval that’s the important one. You can see that Open GPS can also make use of Google Maps on your device to display your path live (warning: this may involve data download charges on your device).

Test Rig and Procedure

 So I had to take one of the boys somewhere, so always the opportunist, I set up the above rig.  My HTC Desire running Open GPS Tracker, Swann Freestyle HD  and its remote all “securely” attached via a sticky pad to my dash. It’s no Google Map mobile, but it’ll do All I needed to do was make sure my phone and camera are synchronised, set the time interval to normal (15 sec), start the GPS on my phone, open the app , start tracking and drive away.  At random intervals I used the remote to safely take a picture.

Here’s the final trip shown on a Google Map overlay. While you’re travelling along, you can also use the app to do things like take notes, voice recordings or mark spots with recorded co-ordinates for future reference.  You can see on the picture that there’s even an indication of the speed I was doing at each stage, keyed to the legend on the right. The app can also tell you how far you’ve travelled (15.89km), maximum speed (71.1 km/h), elapsed time (26min) and total elevation (242m), again not information used in geotagging but may be useful just the same for other purposes.  The important thing is that the app logged 93 waypoints, which is the important information needed for geotagging.

Open GPS can export the waypoints in a GPX file format, a standardised format for input and output of waypoint files. The files are stored locally and can be exported and then  transferred off from the phone via standard file transfer, or the app has the ability to export using other installed apps such as Gmail or Dropbox.

So the results of my little trip, 49 photos (basically taken at random, don’t expect any Peter Dombrovskis here) and a GPX file containing 93 waypoints.

GPicSync

GPicSync is another free, Open Source program that puts the GPS information into your pictures. It’s available for Windows, Linux, and OS X 10.5, supports both JPEG and RAW formats and it’s pretty easy to use. Point it at your picture folder, point it at your .GPX file and let it run. GPicSync will correlate the time stamps on your photos with the timestamps from the GPX file and then write the most relevant co-ordinates into the EXIF information for that photo. Once again GPicSync has the ability to do a whole lot more that’s outside the scope of this article.

Viewing

Here’s the details of one of my processed pictures. You can see that GPicSync has put in longitude, latitude and altitude.

Click on “View in Google Earth” in GPicSync and voila, a full picture of your trip and where each photo was taken. Click on the thumbnails and you’ll get a bigger thumbnail of the photo.  Cool huh !

If you zoom into the map, you’ll see what I mean about getting the correct time intervals.  Logging every 15 seconds has me driving through fences, backyards and houses.  If I wanted a more accurate path then I would have been better to use 1 second intervals (with the associated higher battery drain and larger output file).  It really depends on exactly how “accurate” you want the logging to be.

Here’s the photos being viewed in Picasa 3
And here as a Picasa Web picture via Google+

Many online photo-sharing websites now support geotagging, including Flickr and SmugMug. To me, being able to place and visualise a picture on a map gives my photo a bit more “relevance” both for myself and anyone else that views the photo.

Conclusion

Once you’ve set everything up and got a workflow going, it’s easy to geotag your photos.  No longer will you have to wonder where a photo was taken, or if that photo was in this city or that city.  Given that you’ve most likely already got GPS capability in your Android device, why pay more money for additional equipment and why not make use of it?

My only big disappointment? That I didn’t set this all up 1000s and 1000s of pictures earlier. I’ve got so many photos, including overseas holidays in Vietnam, Thailand, Ankar Wat, San Francisco… that don’t have geotagged information in them……guess I’ll just have to go back and retake them  :)

Final words/warnings

• Displaying live maps in Open GPS Tracker may incur data charges
• Using the GPS on your device will affect battery life
• Please do note that GPS positioning isn’t 100% accurate, and there will be some variation from your actual position
• If you are publishing geotagged photos on a public forum, be careful what you put up and what information you might be giving away!

Filed in categories: Android related, Articles, Digital Cameras and Gear, GPS

Tagged: Android, Geotagging, GPS

How to: Geotag your Photos with an Android Device originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 24, 2012 at 11:00 am.

In 1969, Seiko introduced the first quartz watch, and now they are introducing the world’s first solar GPS watch.  Using their own, patented, low-energy-consumption GPS receiver, the Astron is able to recognize all 39 time zones around the world to identify time zone and set the time and date data using the global network of GPS satellites.  The Astron receives the time signal once a day, and it can connect to at least four GPS satellites on command to determine the time zone and the exact time.  There are five models in the Astron line: three in “high-intensity titanium, which is stronger than stainless steel but has only 60% of its weight, and two in stainless steel. All have ceramic bezels, the same functions and high specifications, including a dual time sub-dial, in-flight mode indicator and sapphire crystal with Super-Clear Coating.”  All have ceramic faces and all have the same functions, and they’re solar-powered so you don’t need to worry with batteries.  The Astron will be available in Autumn 2012; no price information is available yet.  Read the full press release at the Astron link above.

Filed in categories: GPS, News, Watches and Clocks

Tagged: GPS, Watches and Clocks

Seiko Astron, the World’s First Solar GPS Watch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 18, 2012 at 9:00 am.

Anirudh Sharma, a student of Informatics Engineering at the Rajasthan Technical University, has designed Le Chal (Hindi for ‘Take Along”) to assist the blind and visually impaired to navigate around.  By pairing Le Chal with an Android smartphone with GPS, the user can speak a destination into Google maps and then manoeuvre via Google’s navigation. Four small vibration motors embedded in the front, left, right and back of the shoe mildly vibrate to indicate which direction the person should be going in. As they get closer, the vibrations will get stronger to indicate closeness to their destination. In addition, a built in proximity sensor in the front of the shoe can give the user feedback on their immediate surroundings.

Here’s hoping that GPS and Google map accuracy gets a little bit better before this goes into full production. This has the potential to end up as a cheap and unobtrusive (especially compared to current methods) solution for the visually impaired as Anirudh estimates that to upgrade a pair of shoes will only cost around $20.

Filed in categories: Android related, GPS, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: GPS, Shoes

Le Chal Haptic Feedback Shoe for the Blind originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 12, 2012 at 8:00 am.

So you read our previous review of the LandAirSea SilverCloud GPS real-time tracking unit (see related posts at the bottom of this review), and you want something SMALLER and easier without the hassle of recharging batteries?  Say hello to the Live Trac EZ from LiveViewGPS.

Like the SilverCloud GPS, the Live Trac EZ consists of a GPS receiver and a built-in cellular radio, and it provides real-time tracking from their website or smartphone in 5 to 10 second intervals.  No pinging required, and you don’t have to connect the device to a computer to fetch tracking data.

The EZ is small, measuring in at only 1.8″W x 2.18″L x 1.08″H.  It operates on GSM frequencies: 850/1900 (United States), 900/1800 (elsewhere).  (Click here for coverage outside the United States.)

The big difference?  You plug the Live Trac EZ into your OBD port in your car.  The On Board Diagnostic Port, better known as the OBD-II port, is found on most passenger cars and trucks built after 1996.  The port was designed to help technicians diagnose and troubleshoot vehicle problems.  The OBD-II port is typically located somewhere on the driver’s side of the vehicle under the dash.

The OBD port under the dash of my car.

Installation: DONE

Installed, viewed further back. A ghostly disembodied finger points to the Live Trac EZ

The Live Trac EZ is completely powered by your vehicle.  When the EZ detects that the ignition is off, it goes into a sleep state, where it updates the location once every 30 minutes to save power.

To locate your Live Trac EZ-equipped vehicle, simply log into the LiveViewGPS website.  From here, the position of your vehicle will be updated every 5 to 10 seconds, depending on your subscription plan.

Clicking on the vehicle icon (which you can change to a set of pre-defined ones) reveals snapshot information, such as coordinates, speed, direction, and the number of GPS satellites received at that moment.

It appears that LiveViewGPS uses Microsoft’s Bing maps.

Controls are found on the left. You can hide this window.

"Bird's Eye" image

LiveViewGPS also has iPhone and Android apps for tracking as well.  The apps are free, but it will cost you $4.95/month per device to actually use them. (If you own 5 or more devices, the cost drops to $1.95/month per device)

iPhone 4S screenshot

Screenshot with hybrid map overlay

Additional info screen on the iPhone. Battery power, door, and remote starter does not apply on the EZ, but does for other LiveViewGPS products.

I don’t currently own an Android device so I can’t test the Android version.

Minor installation woes

Wait, didn’t I say this was easy?  Yes, but I faced an unforeseen annoyance.  My OBD port is located such that the EZ sticks out where my smallish feet (size 8-1/2 4E shoes) aaaalmost sccrape the bottom of the GPS unit.

OOPS

The solution?  I just happened to have an OBD cable extension with a right angle adapter.  No I’m not kidding, I actually have stuff like this lying around.  I bought mine here.

Totally sold separately! Costs about $10.

Cable with the EZ plugged in

Right angle OBD extension installed. It's a little shorter.

The right angle OBD extension solution works but now you have to tuck this 2 ft long cable with the Live Trac EZ somewhere out of sight, and away from your feet.

In the end, the Live Trac EZ is everything I’d want in a small real-time GPS tracking device.  No battery hassles and it swaps between vehicles in a snap.  Leave it in the car and track it remotely in real time.  Check your OBD port location first to make sure you don’t end up whacking your knee or kicking the EZ with your foot.

Below are some YouTube videos of the Live Trac EZ in playback.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, GPS, Reviews

Tagged: car tracking, GPS, OBD

LiveViewGPS Live Trac EZ Real-Time GPS Vehicle Tracking Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 8, 2012 at 11:00 am.

I’ve been playing with several different kinds of GPS tracking devices for a while, including the nu.m8 GPS Child Locator Watch. The nu.m8 GPS tracking system used a GPS receiver to determine location, and would “report” it’s location when “pinged” via SMS or computer to give the latest position.  So for the most part, it wouldn’t give a “James Bond/secret agent” style blinking dot on a map, moving in real-time like you’d see in the movies.  However, when I was told the SilverCloud Real-Time GPS Tracking System from LandAirSea gave updates every 3 seconds, I got excited.

Types of GPS tracking

Today, there are three main kinds of GPS tracking gizmos available to consumers.  I’ll try to sum them up:

• “Passive/track now, report later”:  This kind of device quietly records GPS position and must be plugged into something like a computer to retrieve data at a later time.
• “Ping to get position”:  A GPS receiver determines position, and a remote user sends a request for position via the cellular network (SMS, for example).  You get a single “breadcrumb” showing the tracked device at the last recorded moment.
• “Real-Time”:  Same as above, but an on-board cellular device is in constant communication to the service provider to relay real-time position to the user.

As you can imagine, real-time GPS tracking is more complicated and consumes more resources, such as power and data.  So how does the LandAirSea SilverCloud Real-Time GPS achieve this?

Out of the box, I got the GPS unit, a USB charger and cable, 12V vehicle charger and cable, and a magnetic attachment base.

Package contents

In my nu.m8 GPS review, I was asked in the comments if the thing worked overseas.  LandAirSea has a list of countries and rate plans for international use.

Other optional accessories are also available, such as extended-run batteries, 12V hardwire kits, waterproof boxes, and bundles.

The magnet mount attaches to the GPS unit with screws. You don't need to use the mount for the unit to work.

The door reveals the SIM card (included), removable battery, and a power switch. The unit automatically goes to sleep after it senses it hasn't moved for a while.

There are four LED indicators for power, GPS status, cell network status, etc. Here they are all lit up at once in a long exposure.

Mini USB port on the side charges the internal battery. Unit will operate while being charged. If not, the battery is estimated to run 5-6 days at two hours per day.

Installation

Charge it up, turn it on, and let it go.  That’s it.

It’s small enough to put on a person (pocket, purse, backpack) but I decided to test it on a vehicle. But wait, don’t GPS devices need a clear line-of-sight to the sky?

So on my car, I tried installing this in some pretty out of the way places, as if I were trying to hide it from the bad guys who might want to steal my ride.

I tried:

• Inside the glovebox
• In the center arm rest
• Under a floor mat
• In the trunk in the spare tire well under the carpet

Guess what?  I got a signal in all of those locations.  I was impressed.

As for power, I used the included 12V adapter to feed the GPS unit with a steady supply of juice when the car was on.  This gives several advantages:  I’d never run out of power while driving, and the GPS would have a built-in battery back-up in case of a mishap, such as a car accident, car battery stolen, car being towed, etc.

Now it was time to log in.

Browser login screen

Once logged in, your GPS unit (shown with a blue van icon on the map, below) is shown on the familiar Google Maps interface.  You can even use the satellite imagery and Google Earth (with plugin).

If the GPS unit is in motion, the maps are updated in almost real-time.  LandAirSea offers tracking options of 5 minute, 1 minute, 10 second, 5 second, and 3 second intervals.  The smaller the interval, the “smoother” the refresh rate.

Screen shot of the tracking screen. Click on the vehicle for the pop-up bubble (above) to show approximate street address, speed, time/date, and power status.

Another feature is the Geofence Alert.  You can draw a rectangle or circle and give it a name (School, Home, etc), and like an email filter, set up rules:  send a custom canned email or text message upon entering and/or exiting the zone, and even set up a schedule when the rule is active.

One thing I learned is that the alerts only work if the system has a lock on your GPS unit.  The GPS unit gets a satellite fix pretty quickly after the initial startup out of the box (like any GPS unit).  I park in an underground garage, so I don’t get any signal until I’m out on the street.  If I set an alert to let me know the GPS unit has left the garage, I may not know until the unit is perhaps a block or two away.  For this reason, I set the Geofence Alert borders a little wider, as in this example.  (No, I don’t live there)

Geofence alerts can inform you of when your GPS unit moves in or out of a preset area.

Here’s a screen capture of the action as it happens.  (I only windowed in a small portion of the screen for recording.)  You can see my mouse moving around… sorry about that!  I click on the “car” and the pop-up window appears.  Halfway through the video clip I switch the background to satellite view.

The web interface also offers a historical playback feature, which sort of works like Tivo or a DVR.  Missed something earlier?  Not a problem!

But what if I’m not near a computer and I want to see where the GPS unit is?  I tried surfing to the tracking website on my iPhone and logged in.  It worked!  No Flash required.

iPhone screen, map view

iPhone screen, satellite view

Since this has a cellular data device, you have to subscribe to a rate plan.  As of this writing, they are as follows:

SilverCloud Data Plans

SilverCloud Pay as You Go, no contract. One time activation fee of $29.95 will be applied.

Prepaid plans are also available that give up to a 12% discount.

The rates may seem steep, but keep in mind that you get UNLIMITED data.  This means you can keep your browser window open all day to watch your tracked device and no incur any other fees.

The LandAirSea SilverCloud Real-Time GPS Tracking System works exactly as advertised.  The ability to run off battery and off external power (via mini-USB plug) in a vehicle is like having a built-in battery backup – plus you don’t have to worry about keeping the battery charged.  I was surprised how well it worked hidden in places in the car, although for best results, you should probably mount it where it gets a good GPS signal (not under metal).  LandAirSea’s 3-second interval is the fastest I know of at the time of this writing, and the ability to track via iPhone without Flash or a separate app is a nice bonus.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, GPS, Reviews

Tagged: GPS, tracking

LandAirSea SilverCloud Real-Time GPS Tracking System Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 23, 2012 at 11:00 am.

For most people, the four legged furry beings that live with them are not just pets, but are part of the family. That means we worry about them just like we do our children. With kids and other loved ones, we can call them on the phone when we want to check up on them. But how do you keep an eye on your pets when you’re not with them? A video surveillance system is an option, but that only works when the pet is in the house or your yard. Once they are out of the camera’s view, you’re stuck. Tagg the Pet Tracker is a clever solution that uses GPS technology to help you locate your pet at any given moment and alerts you when they stray out of a predefined zone.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Package Contents

Tagg Tracker
Tagg Docking Station
AC adapter / USB cable
Collar Clips and straps
Quick Start Guide

The Tagg Pet Tracker system is marketed more towards dogs, but it can work with cats too… as long as the cat (or dog) weighs more than 10 lbs.

For this review, my 15 lb cat Max, graciously volunteered his services. Max can be a little stinker and will sometimes stay out all night. Jeanne and I often wonder where the heck he goes at night and thought the Tagg Pet Tracker would be a fun way to find out.

The Tagg system is made up of 2 main parts. The dock (shown above) charges the Tagg Pet Tracker. It also has a page button that will send you an email notification of your pet’s location within 10-15 minutes after you press it.

The other part of the system is the Tagg Pet Tracker. This is the module that clips to your pet’s collar. It has a status LED (large circle on top) that blinks Blue while the tracker is charging. The smaller button is the Trip button, which can be pressed to disable the Tagg zone while walking your pet or running errands outside the predetermined zone that you’ve created.

The Tagg Pet Tracker has an internal battery that can last up to 30 days per charge.

Charging is as easy as snapping the module to the top of the dock. It takes about 2hrs to fully charge the tracker.

To attach the Tagg Pet Tracker to your pet’s existing collar, you use the included clips. Max doesn’t normally wear a collar, so I had to buy one at Walmart. Cat collars are very narrow, so I bought him the smallest dog collar that I could find. Even it is more narrow than I would like.

Here is the Tagg Pet Tracker attached to the collar. I think the attachment method could have been designed better. I’m not sure why the grey rubber wings are needed.

Here you see the Tagg module on Max. As you can tell, it’s too big for him. He was constantly trying to pull it off by putting his paws under the grey rubber wings.

To begin using the Tagg system, you have to register it online and setup the Tagg Zone.

The Tagg zone is a customizable radius around your home (the Tagg dock) of 75 to 1,000 yards. The Tagg system will locate and track your pet anywhere in the United States where there is Verizon Wireless network coverage.

The web interface allows you to enter information about your pet and also shows the battery status of the Tagg module.

The map will show the location of your pet and any current alerts. The Tagg system is great when it comes to notifications. In addition to telling you when your pet is outside the Tagg zone, it will let you know when the battery is charged, and when there is a software update. To update, you just place the tagg on the dock and the update will begin automatically. You’ll receive another email once the update is finished.

When your pet goes outside their designated zone, you’ll receive an email that shows a small thumbnail map of their location and links to pages on the Tagg website that will initiate a Locate or Tracking of your pet. When you turn on the tracking feature, you’ll receive an email with your pet’s location every 3 minutes for 30 minutes. Some of the emails also have a link to the Tagg website that shows a trail of where your pet has been. The trail is basically what you see in the image above. There’s a button to play the trail, which just shows you various points where your pet has been. It does not show an exact route or show your pet moving in real time… which I would really love to see.

To be honest, I’m not all that impressed with the web portal for the Tagg system. It is little slow and seems pretty basic as far as features go. Luckily, there’s a 2nd way to keep tabs on your pets that’s a little more interactive.

If you have an iPhone or Android phone, you can download the free Tagg app. Once logged into your account, You can see what I thought was a live view of your pet’s location as it moves around in a Google Earth view. A little Blue orb will move around on the display in real time. I was really excited to have this feature and spent several minutes watching the orb move around on my phone’s screen. My excitement disappeared when I got up from the couch to look out the back window to try to see Max in the woods. It’s then that I noticed that he was sitting perfectly still on the back patio, while the Blue orb wandered happily around the screen. I have no idea what the Blue dot is for or why it moves all by itself…

When your pet is out of the Tagg zone, you can use the mobile app to locate and get directions to your pet.

While I’ve been testing the Tagg Pet Tracker, I’ve noticed that the out of zone emails, and locate features in the app and web can be pretty laggy. For example, this morning I gave the collar to Jeanne to take with her to work since Max has not cooperated by going out of zone. I had the Tagg Zone set to the smallest area around our house (~75 yds). Jeanne left for work at 7:30am and I didn’t receive an email notification telling me that Max was out of zone until 8:19am, almost 40 minutes later. Using the locate button takes a few minutes too. I really wish there way to see your pet moving around in real time…

For what it has been designed to do, the Tagg Pet Tracker is a cool gadget. I don’t love it, but I like it and I can see how it could be a very important tool in helping to find a lost pet.  Since you are required to pay $7.95/month (+ $0.95/month for any additional tracker modules) for their service, I feel it should have some more features like a mapping feature that would show a real trail of where your pet has been during a specific time, instead of just starting and ending points while they are out of the zone. And in a perfect world, I wish it would show a real-time view of your pet’s location. But I guess those are all features for the future version of this device.

Do any of you use this device or similar devices to keep track of your pets? If so, let us know your thoughts.

Filed in categories: GPS, Pet Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: GPS, Pet

Tagg the Pet Tracker Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 29, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Sometimes I’ve found that I can use online maps to plan a route, but I don’t want to have to print out directions.  Using my iPhone to check maps as I’m out can quickly use up my battery life – and my data plan.  Mophie comes to the rescue with the  juice pack plus Outdoor EDITION  iPhone 4 case.  This juice pack does what all Mophie juice packs do – acts as a reliable, compact emergency battery that more than doubles your battery life.  Leave the case on your iPhone 4 and have access to emergency power whenever you need it.  The outdoor EDITION also comes with the Mophie outdoor app, which is based on the Apple Design Award-winning AccuTerra GPS app.  The Mophie outdoor app effectively turns your iPhone into a GPS receiver that can be used with Google and AccuTerra maps, and this case/app bundle also gives you a one-year subscription for unlimited access to more than 650,000 map images, encompassing five million square miles of the continental U.S. and Hawaii that can be used even when you have no phone coverage.  You can use the maps to plan, locate, and track the best trails and outdoor activities.  The Mophie juice pack plus Outdoor EDITION is $119.95.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: GPS, iPhone 4 external battery

Turn Your iPhone into a GPS with the Mophie juice pack plus Outdoor EDITION originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 2011 at 7:36 am.

On May 2 2000  the US Government under Bill Clinton change the status of Selective Availability on their Global Positioning System  (GPS)  and overnight twenty-four satellites around the globe instantly gave GPS technology an increase in accuracy of  approximately  10 fold. Previously a high quality signal was used for military purposes while a lower quality signal was used for civilian purposes ( accurate to around 100m )    Within days, civilians were finding new uses for their much more accurate GPSs. On May 3 2000 Dave Ulmer wanted to test the accuracy of his unit and hid a large black bucket in the woods  and posted on a GPS newsgroup calling it the “Great American GPS Stash Hunt”. The rules ”Take some stuff, leave some stuff” and from there the sport of Geocaching was born. There are now geocaches in over 100 countries over the 7 continents including Antarctica, over 1.5 million geocaches and over 5 million geocachers in the world.

With most smartphones ( whatever platform ) now having GPS build in, Geocaching has never been easier. Let’s see how C:Geo for Android works.

Caching used to be quite tedious and involved quite a lot of pre-planning for the area you were going to cache in. Writing out co-ordinates and descriptions, getting maps, inputting into your GPS, finding the cache, logging the find when you got back home. While tools like GSAK ( Geocaching Swiss Army Knife ) are great, it still means having to download files and upload them to your GPS , and often you didn’t get the full cache information on your GPS,  just the co-ordinates.  With built in GPS and data connectivity capabilities on smartphones realtime paperless caching is now a reality and easy.

c:geo is a free app available from the Android Market. The only other thing you’ll need is a geocaching.com user name and password. It’s free for everything you’ll need to get c:geo going and c:geo downloads live information from geocaching.com as default. The first thing you’ll need to do is enter your geocaching.com user name and password.  The program also supports GCVote and Go 4 Cache, two sites I don’t use, and you can also publish a new Twitter status every time you log a cache.

Once started you’re then faced with a number of options:

Live map is just that, from the GPS it establishes your position, brings up the appropriate Google or OSM map ( including a terrain map so you can see that huge ravine in between you and the GZ )  and indicates all the caches around you. This is pretty much the only option you really need in c:geo.

The blue arrow is my position. For those of you who aren’t  into geocaching, the green markers are traditional caches, so that location will take you straight to the cache ( GZ or Goal Zone ). The ones with smiley faces are the ones that I’ve found and the stars, caches I own and have hidden. The blue caches are mystery caches, there’s a puzzle that you have to solve before you can actually get to the final GZ.  The yellow ones are multi caches, you’ll generally have to go to a number of places to gather information before you’ll actually find the final GZ.  The caches can be anything from a micro cache ( a small magnetic cache with just a roll of paper in it )  to garbage bin size containers.

Clicking on one of the caches will bring up some basic details on that cache:

This will often be enough to get you to the cache. You can see there’s an indication of the sort of terrain and how easy it should be to find the cache.   Walk/Drive/Cycle till your blue arrow’s on top of the cache and you should be within metres of the GZ. Accuracy will depend on a number of factors mostly the accuracy of the GPS in the device you’re using and also the ability to be able to see the satellites properly.  GPSs’ are often more inaccurate when in a city with tall towers or in a forest with lots of tree coverage. If you click the symbol next to the help icon you’ll get a compass that can assist in leading you to the cache. Don’t forget though that the distance indicated on this page is “as the crow flys”, there may be obstacles such as buildings, rivers and gullies between you and the GZ.

If you need more information, you can click more details and c:geo will go out to geocaching.com to get all the details on the cache.  This will include hints if available and also all the logs for the cache. Be warned that logs may also include hints/clues on the location of the cache.  This may be useful or a spoiler.

Once you’ve found the cache you can log your visit in real time.

Back to the main screen, “Nearby” gives you a “textual” list of nearby caches:

“Search” allows you to search via a number of different criteria:

All the information so far depends on having an active data connection.  Often caches are located in areas where there’s no data connectivity. To facilitate this c:geo has the capability of storing maps and cache information on local storage. Of course this requires some pre-planning but can be a very useful function. By bringing up a live map of the area you’re interested in while having data connectivity you can store both the map and all the cache information locally.  So you have full access to all the information you’d normally have available online. The only limitation is that your map will only be stored at the magnification level you saved at  so you won’t be able to zoom in or out for more or less detail. You can also import a GPX file ( a local file of cache details ) into cgeo using the Stored cache icon and download OSM offline maps if required though this is probably more aimed towards the more dedicated cacher.

There’s not really a lot that c:geo doesn’t have or do for the casual cacher or the serious cacher.

The only functionality that seems to be missing is the ability to enter additional “child” waypoints  for multicaches and trackable logging is only available when online. There is also no way to export logs or cache details.

These days I don’t seriously geocache but I often find myself waiting for my kids to finish an activity or waiting for the wife, and I’ll just bring up the live map view to see if there’s any caches nearby that I can do to fill in time.

The other fun thing is to plan a “treasure hunt” with the kids.  If you tell the kids you’re going for a 3 hour walk there’s most likely no way you’ll get them involved, but once you get them on a  ”treasure hunt” it’s easy. There’s often small toys as swappables in the caches and the kids love it.

If you’re into photography, many caches are hidden by cachers in picturesque places that you’d never find yourself .

If you’ve got an Android device with GPS  and data connectivity why not grab a copy of c:geo, sign up on geocaching.com and get out there and give it a go, it’ll cost you nothing.

If you don’t have an Android smartphone, have a look around and see what apps are out there for your platform, it’s fun and a great way to keep fit and see places you normally wouldn’t see.

Filed in categories: Android related, GPS, Reviews

Tagged: Android app, geocache, GPS

c:geo Geocaching App for Android Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 2, 2011 at 3:02 pm.

My wife tells me I suffer from early onset C.R.S., so when the opportunity arose to review the Get-Back Mini GPS from Brunton, I jumped at it.  Here’s a device that should keep me from getting lost in parking lots and in the back woods of our summer home.  Now I won’t have to rely upon my innate tracking capabilities to find my way back to the cabin after a stroll though the back forty.

The Get-Back GPS purportedly shows the way back to your starting point by the shortest, most direct route.  You can head straight home, as the crow flies, always on course. It points directly back to any of three set points, showing the route by arrow and the distance in feet/miles or meter/kilometers. It can also be used as a digital compass.

Features:

• Overall dimensions: 2.75”x1.5“x0.5”
• Accuracy of 12 feet in normal GPS mode
• 3 waypoints to find your way back to 3 different locations
• Beep indicator when within 30 feet of destination
• Rechargeable battery with up to 12 hours of continuous use
• Signal Strength indicator
• Digital Compass
• Self Calibrating
• Blue Back light
• Battery Life function
• Feet/Meters
• Recharges with included USB cable
• Small and light weight
• compatible with Brunton portable power devices

 In the box you’ll find the device itself, plus instruction sheets in several languages and a mini USB cable for charging.  The Get-Back GPS has only 3 buttons which have multiple uses.  The photo above shows the device after I charged it, being turned on for the first time.  The display indicates there are 13 hours of battery power left.  The on/off button also turns on the backlight when the unit is powered up.

Here it is displaying a full seven bars of GPS signal.  It’s indicating that I should follow the single arrow on the left for 159 ft to get back to waypoint number one (as shown by the numeral 1 in the upper left corner of the screen).

By pressing the mode (M) button the unit can be put into compass mode.  Here it’s indicating that I am facing SSE (the top of the unit is the direction of travel) and north is shown by the single leading arrow.   When I first turned the unit on, the compass points were all wrong.  This was fixed by performing a calibration.  This was called out and detailed in the instructions and it specifically mentions that it should be done when the unit is new or when it is used far away from where it was most recently calibrated.

You set your waypoints by pressing the home button, which cycles through the 3 storage locations.  When you have selected the one you want, press the home button until the display indicates stored followed by done.  You have now saved you current location.  Immediately you will get an arrival signal as show above.  All the points will illuminate and if enabled the device will beep.

Above is a photo of the device seconds after I set the waypoint.  It now indicates that I have to go 50 ft to the left to get back to my starting point!  The device was not moved and the signal strength is the same as when I set the waypoint.  While this may not be a big deal when you’re out in the woods looking for a lake, it doesn’t fall within the 12 ft accuracy promised.  This was an ongoing issue when I used the device.  Also, the 50 ft number was not static and jumped around a lot, mostly higher than lower.

For my first test, I marked a spot on my driveway and set that as my waypoint in the GetBack GPS.  I then walked to the mailbox, which is a straight 200 ft shot.  At the mailbox the GetBack indicated I had gone 196 ft.  Not bad!  However, when I turned around the device told me I should bear left to get back to the origin.  I ignored the advice and walked back to my starting point and was advised I have 36 ft to go.  Every time I walked back it told me I had a different number of feet to go.  To be fair, I don’t think the GetBack GPS is meant as a measuring device, so I embarked on longer treks.

My first road trip was to the Deerfield Fair.  This event takes place in an open area and has acres of parking.  We parked the car someplace about 1/4 mile from the fairgrounds and set it as waypoint 1.  We walked around the fair for what seemed like hours, exaggerated I’m sure by the screaming of 3 young grandkids.  To get back to the car I fired up the GetBack, it shuts itself off after 5 minutes, and waited for a signal.  On several occasions I’ve had to wait several minutes for a signal and this was one of them.

When we got a good lock, the GPS pointed the way back to the car.  Because I was at the far end of the fair and the device points you in a straight line back to the waypoint, I would have had to walk through the middle of the tractor pull arena.  It’s then that I realized that this device is not meant for a trek that has obstacles in the way.  It would be best used somewhere there is nothing between you and your set waypoint.  We did zig and zag through the fairgrounds and at the exit I could walk in almost a straight line to the car.  The GPS led us to a point about 2 rows from our vehicle, but it was close enough to see it.  However, during another trek I found the device useless if you park on the fourth story of a car park.

I also had the chance to take a small hike in the woods near our vacation home.  I had someone drive me out on a secondary road about a mile from my house and from there I entered the woods.  I then fired up the GPS and attempted to follow it back to the house which I had set as waypoint 1.  Again, because the device points as the “crow flies” I would have had to cross a lake to get home.  By zigzagging I eventually got back within several dozen feet.  A problem I did encounter in the heavy tree cover was I couldn’t always get a signal, so I had to move to a clearing to get my bearings.

I had many other occasions to use the GPS device and the best way to describe its usefulness, is to quote from the User’s Guide.  “This GPS device is not a substitute for backcountry experience or good common sense and should not be your only form of navigation……Like all GPS equipment, it is subject to signal interruption due to atmospheric conditions or settings with dense tree-cover or tall buildings.”

When I shared this information with friends who are hunters and woodsmen, they said why not just spend a couple of dollars more to get a handheld GPS with terrain maps built-in?  So, the GetBack GPS was interesting to use, but it needs to be priced lower.  If I take the manufacture at its word and have another form of navigation, why not just buy a map and compass and save some money?  At least they don’t suffer from signal interruption and power depletion.

Filed in categories: GPS, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged: GPS, Personal Safety, Portable GPS accessory

Get-Back Mini GPS Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 31, 2011 at 4:00 pm.

Ever wanted to know where your teenager is taking the car?  Or want to track if they are really going to school or not?  Or maybe you just want to see if your husband is really out playing golf with the guys.  The Garmin GTU 10 is the perfect tracking device for you.

The Garmin GTU 10 allows on demand tracking using the computer or a mobile app.  It’s small, programmable geo-fence, has a built-in battery that lasts for a day to a month depending on settings and is waterproof.  Best of all, it has 1 year of service included in its low price of $199.  There are no contracts, no early termination fees and no activation fees.

Filed in categories: GPS, News

Tagged: Garmin, GPS, tracking

Tracking with the Garmin GTU 10 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 11, 2011 at 3:15 pm.

The Get-Back GPS from Brunton is a small keychain sized GPS device that gives you the fastest way back to your starting point. Charge it via a free USB port and you’re ready to go hiking. All you do is set up to 3 waypoints and then the Get-Back will point the way to get you back to any of those points. It can also be used as a digital compass. It’s priced at $90 and is available now.

Filed in categories: GPS, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: GPS, hiking

Brunton helps you find your way back from your next hike originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 14, 2011 at 3:30 pm.

Install the Parrot Asteroid receiver in your car, and you’ll be connected to the internet, GPS, telephone, radio, and your mobile device.   Main functions are accessible using the jog wheel, but you can also control the unit with voice commands.  The Asteroid comes with a GPS dongle, so you can navigate without requiring a separate GPS device.  If you supply your own 3G service, you’ll be able to access the internet via Android apps.  The unit can connect to your Bluetooth-enabled phone to make calls, and you can connect MP3 players directly to the unit and control playback with voice commands.  Connect devices to the Asteroid via Bluetooth, USB, iPod/iPhone cable, or audio cable.  There’s much more information on the Parrot website to help you learn if the Asteroid is right for you.  The Asteroid will be released later in 2011, and there is no pricing information on the Parrot site yet.

Filed in categories: Android related, Car Gear, News

Tagged: car audio, GPS

Parrot Asteroid – Apps, Web, Phone, and Music in Your Car originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Did you know that only a very small percentage of lost animals – 10-15% of dogs and 2% of cats –  are ever returned to their owners?   If your pet strays, you need to know immediately so you can retrieve him quickly.  The Tagg Pet Tracker system from Snaptracs, Inc ( a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc) uses GPS to track your dog or cat and let you know immediately if he leaves his defined home area.  The Tagg slides onto your pet’s collar; it’s built to withstand dirt and even water.  If your pet leaves his home area, you’ll be notified on your computer or smartphone.  You can locate your pet on a map just by pressing a button so you’ll know where to go pick him up.  The collar attachment is intended for pets over 10 pounds.  It costs $199.99 and includes a year of service.  It will begin shipping in September.  You can sign up at the Tagg website to be notified when the device is ready to ship.

Filed in categories: News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: GPS, Pet GPS gadget

Keep Track of Your Pet with Tagg originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 23, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

The RoadMate 9055-LM from Magellan has a large monitor and a unique retractable mounting arm that makes it ideal for use in larger SUVs and RVs, trucks, and minivans, but it works equally well for drivers with smaller vehicles.  The 7″ touchscreen makes navigation easy with Magellan’s OneTouch user interface.  You’ll also get traffic information without extra fees, and spoken street names and Highway Lane Assist’s realistic-looking signs make sure you take the correct turns.  You can connect your Bluetooth phone with the 9055-LM and make hands-free calls with the 9055-LM’s noise-canceling microphone.  If you’re a AAA member, you can access the built-in AAA TourBook guides for the US and Canada.  And perhaps best of all, you’ll get free map updates for the life of the 9055-LM unit.  The 9055-LM is now available at Best Buy with a MSRP of $299.99.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, GPS, News

Tagged: GPS

Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM GPS with Free Map Updates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 11, 2011 at 10:30 am.

A GPS navicomputer can be a powerful ally when eating up highway miles in your beat-up old freighter.  But the stock voices can get a bit stale.  Oh dear!  Spice it up with Star Wars voices for TomTom.  The strikingly spot-on voices can be downloaded directly to your TomTom device via home desktop software.  Listen to voice samples of each and choose from C-3PO (plus R2-D2), Darth Vader, Yoda or Han Solo (plus Chewie), $12.95 each.  And you should absolutely check out the video clips of Yoda and Darth Vader in the recording studio!

Filed in categories: Car Gear, GPS, News

Tagged: GPS, TomTom

Away put your map! Star Wars voices for TomTom originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 28, 2010 at 3:39 pm.

My idea of a perfect cold activity is to stay INSIDE where it is warm, curl up on the couch and read a good book. If you are prefer a more extreme activities like alpine sking or snow boarding, you might like to check out the Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles. These are the world’s first googles with a built in GPS enabled  head-mounted display that displays information such as speed, latitude/longitude, altitude, vertical distance travelled, total distance travelled, chrono/stopwatch mode, a run-counter, temperature and time. The goggles can be charged via USB and are available in two models with different lens options. The Transcend SPPX is fitted with an SPPX polarized and photochromic lens retailing at $499US, Transcend SPX features an SPX polarized lens and costs $399US.

The World’s First GPS Goggles with Head-Mounted Display Available Now
See More with this Season’s ‘Must-Have’ Alpine Goggles
 
The highly anticipated Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles are now available to order, Recon Instruments announced today.
 
The public can purchase these revolutionary GPS-enabled goggles from Recon Instruments’ fresh new website www.reconinstruments.com and be part of the exclusive group to own the world’s only goggles with real-time GPS data viewable through a head-mounted display system.
 
Recon Instruments’ initial 2010 limited release will ensure skiers and riders have a pair of Transcend goggles when the first snow hits the mountains this winter. There are two models of Transcend available with different lens options, Transcend SPPX is fitted with an SPPX polarized and photochromic lens retailing at $499US, Transcend SPX features an SPX polarized lens and costs $399US.
 
Transcend is the only pair of goggles in the world to provide real-time feedback to the user, including speed, latitude/longitude, altitude, vertical distance travelled, total distance travelled, chrono/stopwatch mode, a run-counter, temperature and time. It is also the only pair of goggles that boasts GPS capabilities, USB charging and data transfer, and post-processing software all with a user-friendly, futuristic interface.
 
Recon Instruments has even hinted at an open API app development and download community, with some featured free apps.
 
The optical system, designed by Recon Instruments, is embedded within a Zeal Optics’ frame design on a micro LCD display, which appears to hang approximately six feet in front of the user. Transcend also features ‘glove-friendly’ buttons to navigate the full-color dashboard and feature screens. The goggles also come with Recon HQ, a PC/Mac software application which allows users to track their day’s statistics and overlay their entire alpine experience on satellite imagery.
 
In addition, Recon HQ features a highlight editor to export the best parts of a session straight to Recon’s new website and HQ Online community. And with podium contests and giveaways awarded to the best highlights experienced at resorts around the globe skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling will never be the same again.
 
Darcy Hughes, Recon Instruments’ Chief Marketing Officer noted, “We have had great success with the development and partnership with Zeal Optics, and we’re excited for this initial limited release. Interest in the goggles has been unprecedented so it will be interesting to see how fast the release sells through at reconinstruments.com.”
 
“As action sports fanatics ourselves, we recognize the fun and importance of sharing the data collected by the goggles with friends, which is why we have incorporated the HQ Online community into our new website. We hope the public will have as much fun using our invigorated website as we have had in its development.” Hughes added.
 
The first major challenge Recon Instruments encountered was integrating the technology while maintaining the aesthetics of the goggles. A micro-computer processes the information collected by four different sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, temperature and pressure sensors which track the user’s position in their environment. In addition to the four sensors, a GPS chip is also incorporated into the package, all at a fraction of board architecture seen before. The processed data is projected onto a micro LCD display inside the goggles where a 3-dimensional lens then magnifies and projects a virtual image so it appears to be about six feet in front of the user.

Filed in categories: GPS, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: GPS, Outdoors, Spotlight Gadgets

Real time GPS for Alpine Skiers – Recon-Zeal Transcend Goggles originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 1, 2010 at 12:26 pm.

Magellan has announced their new rugged and waterproof ToughCase for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The case meets IPX-7 waterproof standards which enables your device to be submerged at a depth of 1-meter for up to 30 minutes. The integrated 1840 mAh battery will double battery life and the built-in high sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS chipset delivers up to 3 meters of accuracy. The ToughCase is compatible with iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (second and third generation). and will be available for USD $199.99 at MagellanGPS.com and Apple Stores at www.apple.com. One thing to note though is that this price does not include Magellan’s Roadmate GPS iPhone app, which will set you back an additional $49.99.

Filed in categories: GPS, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: GPS, iPad, iPhone, Spotlight Gadgets

Magellan Launches Rugged, WaterProof ToughCase for iPhone & iPod Touch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 30, 2010 at 12:20 pm.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NAVTEQ. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s almost the middle of June, which means most, if not all kids are out of school for the summer and it’s time for an epic family vacation. If your family is planning to spend any part of your vacation driving, it’s time to update your in-car navigation systems and stand alone GPS units with the latest mapping data. NAVTEQ is the company whose technology and maps power most of the GPS devices in the U.S., from Garmin to BMW, to Nokia, so chances are yours is one of them.

If you’ve had your GPS device for quite a while and have yet to update it, a visit to www.updateyourmap.com is a good idea. You can make sure that your GPS device will make sure that the “shortest route” and “fastest route” functions of your navigation system work most efficiently. The latest updates from NAVTEQ can also save you time and fuel by making sure that the POIs (point of interest) locations are also correct. Most GPS units allow you to easily see nearby POIs such as the closest gas stations, restaurants, ATM’s and more. The only gotcha to updating your GPS is that it won’t be free. You’ll be required to buy the new mapping data file before you can download it. Prices vary depending on the device.

If your Dad (or the designated driver) doesn’t like to stop to ask a human for directions when they are lost, then a GPS is definitely the way to go. I know that I hate to stop at a gas station to ask for help, mainly because I usually forget what they told me as soon as I walk out the door. We always use a GPS when we go on trips because it is the easiest way to get from destination to destination and having the latest mapping data is one of the items we always add to our trip check list.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, GPS, News

Tagged: Car, GPS

It’s Road Trip Season – Make Sure your GPS has the Latest Maps originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 13, 2010 at 11:43 am.

The QSTARZ BT-Q1000XT is a travel logger / geotagger on steroids. This power efficient GPS trip logging device is able to turn on and off based on vibration. Allowing it to collect data for up to 42hrs per charge. It can get a fix on satellites in about 15 seconds and can help you avoid speeding tickets by beeping if you travel faster than the speed limit. It can also be configured to log data based on preset times. The BT-Q1000XT is available now from Semsons for $109.99

Filed in categories: GPS, News

Tagged: GPS, Spotlight Gadgets

QSTARZ launches a new GPS Travel Recorder originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 24, 2010 at 2:00 pm.

Speeding tickets are no fun. I know this from experience as I got one late last year. I was only going 11 miles over the speed limit and had to pay over $100 in fines. Maybe if I had the GPS Angel on my dash, I would have been saved… The GPS Angel V4 Red Light Camera and Speed Camera satellite technology to determine your vehicle’s current position, compares it to an on-board database of thousands of known red light camera locations and speed camera locations in the United States and Canada, and then alerts you in advance with visual and audible alarms when you are near a camera. It’s available now for less than $100 from online retailers such as Amazon.com

Filed in categories: Car Gear, GPS, News

Tagged: GPS, Spotlight Gadgets

The GPS Angel can save you from a speeding ticket originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 7, 2010 at 9:06 pm.

QSTARZ has released its SR-Q2100 Super 10-in-1 Outdoor GPS.  A handheld, sport-ready device for hiking, cycling, or travel, it includes Sport GPS, Location Back and Route Plan modes, each with multiple features.  Also includes the software QPlanner for route planning, QSports for health management and QTravel for travel logging and geotagging.  Tons of additional features, so check out all the details at the QSTARZ site.  Expect availablity at retail and online sellers shortly, but no firm pricing info yet.

Filed in categories: GPS, News

Tagged: GPS, sports gear

QSTARZ SR-Q2100 Super 10-in-1 Outdoor GPS originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 1, 2010 at 10:24 am.

The brand new Garmin Forerunner 110 GPS watch, designed primarily for joggers has recently been unveiled.  It’s sleak, small and packed to the hilt with features.  Garmin have also said it will be priced reasonably too.

The 110 Forerunner will be Garmin’s latest entry-level watch however, don’t be fooled as just because it’ll be its cheapest model, it’ll still pack a punch when it comes to fetaures.   Firstly, it will run for eight hours in GPS mode, and three weeks on standby, and it will use Garmin’s ‘HotFix’ technology in order to keep track of your route, even when your shrouded by trees and buildings!

When you back in the house catching your breath, you can upload your stats to Garmin Connect, but it’ll store up to 200 hours of data on its own, so if you’d rather grab a shower when you back and you forget to upload, it’s no big deal! And, the clever little gizmo will even work with Garmin heart rate monitors, so you can see just how many calories you’re burning during your pavement pounding routines.

The Garmin Forerunner 110 will be available in April, after being put on display at the Garmin booths at the Paris, Boston and London marathons.  After this time, your local running shop will be stocking it.  No firm word on pricing yet though.

[Via Garmin Blog]

Filed in categories: GPS, News

Tagged: Garmin, GPS, Spotlight Gadgets

New budget Garmin Forerunner unveiled originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 31, 2010 at 9:00 am.

The MobileAction i-gotU is a small, on-the-go geo-tagging device may look like a tiny paperweight, but it packs a whole lot of feature and comes with three pieces of distinct software (@trip, Where am I and Sports Analyzer) for various utilizations. Whip this plastic box out while traveling to get accurate satellite tagging of your location for photos, exercising and just for kicks!

Out of the box, the i-gotU comes with:

• i-gotU GT-600
• Charging Cable
• Armband
• Translucent Silicon Cover
• Software Disk – mini disk that will not work with most MAC computers

I’ll admit my experience with this device has been rather troubling because it lacks Mac OSX support. Any device that only allows me to use WinXP on Parallels can make me antsy and a bit nervous.

I originally tested the device out back on a trip to Los Angeles at the end of January, only to realize that none of the tags took.

During the trip, I pointed the device at the sky, clicked the white button, saw a blue LED light flash, pressed the button again, thought I saw a blue light and red one, and put the device away. I did this several times along the trip as I took pictures, hoping to later tie the geo-tag to the photo I had taken.

I didn’t bring my Macbook Pro with me to double check it was working properly – big mistake because when I got home, hooked it up and opened the @tripPC program, nothing imported!

I was a tad disappointed, so I decided to reread the instructions and try it again. This time I paid closer attention to the blinking LED lights. Blue means on. Then I pointed the device to the sky till the LEDs blinked red and blue. Pressed the button again, and voila I hoped it worked this time!

Success! It worked! My locations weren’t as exotic, but at least I was able to get the little box to do its job.

FYI, be careful to pay attention to the blinking lights. If the device doesn’t acquire a satellite signal, then you’re just wasting your time!

Features

This blocky white box comes in at 46 x 41.5 x 14 mm and weighs 37g, and is like lugging around a chunky flossing container. Charged up with a 750mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery, you get tons of life before juicing up. It also powers off when not in use, conserving battery life and uses a SiRF Star III 65nm GPS low power chipset that helps save energy.

A 64M of onboard flash memory is perfect for tagging up to 262,000 points — good luck trying to fill that up travelers! And don’t worry about dropping this heavy snowflake in the snow or rain, it’s absolutely water resistant!

Software

@tripPC is similar to iPhoto in that it geo-tags your photos and places them on a map, and you can share pictures with friends using a mobilemesque gallery interface. MobileAction has some great video walkthrough, tutorial videos on their website that makes using the program very easy.

It would be cool if you could export the geo-tag to the photo for use in other photo organizing software (ie..iPhoto or Aperture), but considering the overall lack of Mac support, it’s probably not going to happen.

Regardless, @trip does make a social sharing effort by letting you create your own personal travel blog and upload your pictures to popular sites like Flickr and Picasa.

Where Am I? is a simple, straightforward application. Hook the i-gotU up to your computer and it tells you where you’re at.  Good for those boinked on the head or those with an odd case of  spontaneous amnesia.

Sports Analyzer takes your fitness to a whole new level with google map exercise routes, calendars and fitness goals, and through a series of different charts and statistics, you get a better grasp of how you are going to maintain or achieve healthy living goals.

Complaints!

I hate to end this review on a sour note, but I can’t gloss over the few glaring complaints I have about the device.

There’s no MAC OSX support! I’m sure i-gotU could make an awesome mac interface, but you’re locked into using the PC to manage everything. I had to flip over to Parallels to manage the i-gotU, so it did not make it super convenient for me to organize and manage my data.

I also had a difficult time wit the proprietary USB cable end. You have to slide it into place in just a way where everything snaps together correctly, and a failure to do so made me worry that I might snap the plastic ends off.

Sorry PC Users…

If you’re an avid PC user, please ignore! It’s a great little device if you lack a geo-tagger on your digital camera, and provides extremely accurate readouts, some detailed and helpful software and user guides, and is a fun to use once you get the hang of it.

But is it worth the $80 price tag? Only if you’re desperate!

Photographs brought to you by: Christopher Tooley -http://WWW.TOPHERPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, GPS, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Geo-Tagger, GPS, Travel

MobileAction i-gotU USB GPS Travel & Sports Logger Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 21, 2010 at 11:09 am.

I first learned about the LOK8U nu.m8 GPS locator from a Gadgeteer post earlier this year.  I was intrigued.

I’ve had friends who have lost track of their children in crowded places.  While it’s never happened to my 4-year old son yet, and I consider myself an attentive parent, I want all the help I can get in a worst case scenario.  Would the nu.m8  work?

Not too long ago my in-laws got stuck in traffic for 8 hours in a snow storm in the mountains.  After that incident I researched GPS locating devices.  I experimented with a GPS/GSM cellular device the size of a pager that reports in real-time just like in the movies:  You get a moving “dot” with a breadcrumb trail on your computer screen.  Perfect!  But the problem is, they’re not kid friendly, even though they’re the size of a small cell phone.

Even if I could convince my son to wear a pager-sized gizmo, it would look ridiculously obvious.  He’d either lose it, break it, or become separated from it if left in a backpack, jacket, etc.  Clearly, such a thing would need to be attached to a child, or person, yet not be too big.  He’s a little young to carry his own cell phone, so carrier-based location services are out (for now).

nu.m8 on left, regular watch on right. Regular watch not included.

Yes, the nu.m8 is thick as a "G-Shock" style watch. All that goodness has to go somewhere.

Specs:

Waterproof to IPX7 (immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 min.)

Battery (from website):

“nu.m8 is quoted at 48 hours standby in good GSM coverage (cell phone network coverage). Powering up the GPS takes the most power although poor GSM or handshaking  multiple base stations (during a car journey) will consume extra battery. We would expect 5-10 wru’s outdoors will give 14-18 hours battery life, 5-10 wrus indoors where we can see some GPS but not enough to lock will reduce battery life to 12 hours.”

The nu.m8 is clever.  It looks like a no-frills kid’s watch.  My son requested the very brightly colored blue one.  The first thing I noticed is that the strap can only be detached using a special tool (included).  For the sake of other nu.m8 owners, I won’t reveal how that’s done here.  The strap can be adjusted, but only when detached.

Under the strap

Close up of strap adjustment

Back of the nu.m8. Note charging terminals.

nu.m8 docked. Two colored LEDs on top provide charging status.

Docked, side view. The cable terminates to a USB plug, which connects to the provided wall adapter (200mA).

The nu.m8 uses what I call a “pinging” style of tracking.  That is, it will send out a location update when requested or when it crosses user-defined area.  There is a “live mode” which updates more often to give a more real-time effect, but this drains the battery faster.  The live-mode can be set to activate in the event of strap detachment, for example.

I ordered this item when it first became available on Amazon.  To my dismay, I could not get reliable tracking data.  I figured it was way too ahead of it’s time so I sent it back.  A week or two later I learn that the nu.m8 had an over-the-air (OTA) firmware update that fixes this problem, so I contacted the company and was assured this fix was a good one.  True to their word, my evaluation unit works flawlessly.

Power up sequence. A series of four bars form a box around the display, counterclockwise.

Default analog display. LCD digits shown inverted. I don't know of a way to "reverse" the display to dark-on-light which might have been neat.

Text "clock" via SMS to the watch, and the display toggles between digital and analog.

You may be thinking, what good is GPS if you’re indoors?  As long as you can get a good GSM signal (I’ve learned T-Mobile is default) then it will triangulate based on cell tower location and plot an approximate circle of where your child is.  If your kid frequents only a few places (grandma’s house, school, friend’s home) then it’s good enough.

I discovered that the nu.m8 locks onto a usable GPS signal quite easily under conditions I would not expect.  It located the watch inside a car, and inside my home, which is on the top floor of a building (which probably helped).  Did not work inside my high-rise office building as expected.

The monthly rate is $9.99, which gives you web portal access to send commands to the watch, as well as mapping, based the familiar Google Maps.  From the portal you can set the unit on standby, “live”, create a geofence, monitor battery levels, email notifications, and so on.  Read more about rate plans here.  Yearly discounts apply.

Web portal interface. This screen happens to show a geofence I've drawn around my home.

For a $17.99 a month, you also get SMS control and notification.  From any SMS-enabled cell phone, you can send the following commands to the nu.m8:

• Where are you request text “wru”
• Off (to release strap) text “off”
• Safe Zone on text “safe (radius as metres)”
• Safe Zone off text “zone”
• Clock Analogue text “clock”
• Clock 12 hour digital text “12”
• Clock 24 hour digital text “24”
• Standby text “stand”

In my testing, it takes about 60 seconds for commands to be executed.

SMS functions are very handy if you aren’t near a computer with web access.  The “wru” function is especially neat.  You’ll get a reply back with the street address your child was located, or the approximate range if there is no GPS signal (“2000-2999 Main St”)

So does it work?  Yes it does.  A little creepy?  Some might say so.  I won’t go into the privacy issues that some may have.  If my son doesn’t want to wear one, I won’t make him.

It’s not real-time like you’d see in a James Bond movie (no moving dot on a computer screen) because the power requirements would be prohibitive in such a small package.  However, the “ping” method works fine for all but the truly paranoid.

The dealbreaker for me is that the watch is simply too large for my 4 year old son.  He’s about 35 lbs and 3 feet tall.  Not a big kid.  The watch fits his wrist at the smallest strap setting.  Anything larger and it runs the risk of slipping off.  It’s about the size of a typical sports watch or “G-Shock” watch, but might fit better on a slightly larger child.

When the nu.m8 can be shrunken down to an even smaller size, I will definitely pick one up for keeps.  This would also be great for children or other individuals with special needs.

Filed in categories: GPS, Kid Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: GPS

nu.m8 GPS Child Locator Watch Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 19, 2010 at 11:06 am.