Archive for February, 2009

T-Mobile Samsung Memoir is official and does TeleNav GPS Navigator

Feb 27, 2009 , , , ,

T-Mobile Samsung Memoir is now officially announced by T-Mobile. We didn’t know what kind of GPS navigation system would be on it when we first talked about but now we know it will come with TeleNav GPS Navigator and for $10/month you’ll get unlimited usage out of it. Of course before you’re there you’ll need to spend $250 on the device after signing a 2 year contract and wait for a $50 mail-in-rebate (we hate rebates). If you already have a contract with them the phone costs $500.

Here are the features of TeleNav GPS Navigator on T-Mo Memoir:

  • clean user interface
  • destinations can be pre-planned online
  • speech recognition
  • traffic alerts; updates every 5 minutes; re-routing
  • location sharing

And here is a video of it running:

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Nikon GP-1 review

Feb 27, 2009 , , , , ,

nikon-gp-1
Do you remember the Nikon GP-1 we mentioned late last year? You should if you’re into DSLR cameras and geotagging. Well if you still haven’t purchased a Nikon GP-1, here is a review for you from johnbiehler.

What Nikon GP-1 does is that it geotags your photos while you’re taking them, so you don’t have to worry about post processing, an extra step to take care of when you get back home.

It comes with a cable specifically for the D90 which has a GPS port and a more standard cable for use on the other cameras which plugs into the left side of the unit. At the rear of the GP-1 is a mini-USB port that allows you to connect it to a laptop to use as a navigation GPS if you have the appropriate software. I haven’t tried this yet as I already have an in car GPS unit so I don’t really have a need to do this but it’s a nice bonus. On the right side, there is a pass through port for the wired MC-DC2 remote release cable should you wish to use it and the GP-1 at the same time.

Nikon GP-1 currently goes for $210 on Amazon.

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Alpine PND-K3msn

Feb 26, 2009 , ,

pnd-k3msn
We just mentioned yesterday that Alpine PND-K3 was on sale and was also informed that their new Alpine PND-K3msn was about to ship soon, however you’ll have to come back for a firm ship date.

The PND-K3msn does everything the basic PND-K3 does but adds MSN Direct services which include updated traffic information, weather reports, gas prices, movie times, news and local event information, and even stock prices.

Another useful feature that is going to be available with PND-K3msn is the “Send to GPS” which will let you users wirelessly send addresses from a internet connected browser.

Your first three-month subscription to MSN Direct will be free.

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bmw intelligent navigation system ILENA

Feb 26, 2009

bmw-7-series-dash
BMW’s new intelligent navigation system can not only tell you how to get there but also learn from your driving habits while you’re getting there. It is called ILENA (Intelligent LEarning NAvigation). It is said the system is already 80% accurate at guessing where you might be headed next, and can even go as far as adjusting with car’s performance, say when you’re about to get on the freeway on-ramp.

It is not yet released but you can expect to see this within the next five years, first in a 7 series model of course.

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Alpine PND-K3 now only $200

Feb 25, 2009 ,

pnd-k3
Remember the Alpine PND-K3 we reviewed back in December? It used to go for $350 but now we hear they’ve cut the price back to $200. That’s almost 50% off. It is a good deal if you ask us. Amazon already has the new price for PND-K3.

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Bluetooth GPS Speaker BGS-100/200

Feb 25, 2009 ,

bluepeaker-gps-1
What you’re looking at is actually a “bluepeaker“, a bluetooth speaker with integrated GPS. What does this do you may ask. Here is the answer:

  • provides serial GPS data via bluetooth for PDA’s, laptops, etc
  • lets you stream audio from a phone, laptop, etc…
  • and pairs up with your bluetooth enabled phone to let you take and make calls (even does voice dialing)

Bluepeaker seems like a convenient device since it can charge via any USB plug almost whether via your laptop, car charger, or wall cell phone charger. The 1200mAh (not bad for a small device) can get you about 200 hours stand by time and 10 hours of talk time.

The GPS receiver within is from SiRF, the speaker is rated 2W max, and it has a 80mm diameter.

We know this is quite new since it just made it through FCC and their site only has a fresh install page from Apache :)

Not sure how much Bluepeaker will cost but we’ll keep you updated once we find out.

bluepeaker-gps-2

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why GPSes suck

Feb 24, 2009 ,

garmin-nmea0183
This write up about why GPSes suck is mostly for those with a high level expertise in embedded systems and protocols. If you’re not one of those you can move along. Nothing exciting for you here.

If you’re still here, after reading this article you’ll be surprised that little GPS navigation system on your dashboard can actually give you driving directions and maybe appreciate the amount of work programmers did to to make sense of the “sucky” NMEA 0183 data they receive.

A mob of crack-smoking rhesus monkeys could have designed a better standard than NMEA 0183. It means that if you want to assemble a proper TPV report from NMEA sentences, you actually need to wait until you’ve seen an entire reporting cycle. Only…you can’t tell without knowing the type and firmware version of the GPS which sentences start and end the cycle! And even if you did know, buffering the partial data introduces latency that may be unacceptable for some applications.

Read the rest of this entry »

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McMurdo FAST FIND could save your life

Feb 24, 2009

fastfind-plb
McMurdo today announced FAST FIND, a new range of personal locator beacons. For about $300 or less this compact, waterproof unit transmits 406 MHz emergency signals and can be a lifesaver for those out in the ocean or other outdoor sports enthusiasts.

FAST FIND weighs only 150g and measures 34x47x106 mm making it very easy to carry. It complies with federal and international standards, and operates on the COSPAS SARSAT 406MHz search and rescue satellite communication system. It is subscription free and it actually alerts authorities, not some lousy commercial call center.

They came up with two models: Fast Find 200 and Fast Find 210. The latter has an internal 50 channel GPS receiver for even more precise location information. But both models actually transmit two kind of signals: the subscription-free global 406 MHz satellite system, and the other a 121.5MHz frequency homing signal designed to speed up the local recovery response process. Once you flip the switch the device will keep calling for help for at least the next 24 hours.

Other features of Fast Find include a SOS LED flashlight which can be turned on separately. They claim the internal battery will last upto 5 years and will work in -20ºC temperature.

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NaviSeer: GPS and DR tracking

Feb 23, 2009 , ,

naviseer
Seer Technology today announced a new product called NaviSeer. Naviseer is a personal tracking system mostly designed for military personnel. It uses MEMS technology and offers a lightweight wearable unit so the guy in charge always knows where everyone is.

What’s different about Naviseer is that the device works even in “GPS denied environments”. It relies heavily on dead-reckoning when GPS signals are unavailable and can still provide position information to within 2% accuracy of distance traveled. The unit weighs less than five ounces and must be worn on the back of the user so it can translate body movement into latitude, longitude and elevation digital positions which are continuously updated to the command and control center.

The device has three gyros, three accelerometers (one at each axis), a magnetometer and a baro altimeter. The DR module is a miniature, self-contained, electronic navigation unit that provides user position relative to an initialization (starting or home) point (0,0). DR and GPS data are blended by an internal Kalman filter. When GPS is available, the DR functions are automatically calibrated continuously. When GPS is unavailable, DR takes over.

Seer Technology is already taking orders and hopes to ship NaviSeer by second quarter of 2009.

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Trimble Yuma

Feb 23, 2009 , , , ,

trimble-yuma
Trimble just announced a very impressive rugged tablet computer with integrated GPS capabilities, called Trimble Yuma. Trimble Yuma has a 7″ sunlight readable display, solid state drive with 32GB of space, and 2 integrated cameras both of which are capable of geotagging.

  • Intel Atom 1.6 GHz processor
  • 32 GB solid state hard drive
  • Integrated WiFi b/g
  • Integrated Bluetooth 2.0
  • Integrated GPS
  • 2 integrated cameras
  • ExpressCard slot
  • SDIO slot
  • Outdoor rugged design
  • 7″ sunlight readable touchscreen display
  • Light Weight (2.6 lb. with standard batteries)

Trimble Yuma runs Windows Vista Business, and meets MIL-STD-810F military standards for drops, vibration and humidity. Its IP67 rating means it’s impervious to dust and water and it operates in temperatures from -30 to 60 °C. Yuma can be mounted on a tripod or pole for data collection, or even secured in a vehicle-mount. Not bad at all.

However do not get your hopes up to see this at a store near you. Trimble Yuma is designed for public safety, field service, forestry, utilities, mapping, and or military related applications. If you don’t have a government contract you probably won’t be able to afford one.

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