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Sure, I could buy the Topo map for around USD$250, and City Navigator for $80. Apart from the expense, there are still problems:

• Despite being designed for outdoor activities, the Topo map is not so great - I have a friend who bought it for cycling and gave up after finding out it didn't include a whole load of his favourite cycle routes.
• You can't try the map before buying, and after buying, there is no way to get a refund.
• The Navteq digital road data is just as incomplete and buggy as Tele Atlas.
• The correct way to handle different use cases is to use the same underlying dataset, but render differently, e.g. walkers get LDWP routes highlighted, cyclists get cycling routes highlighted, etc.
• There is an alternative choice that does the right thing technically (single data set, multiple renderings for different use cases and GPS devices), is free to use, and based on open standards. I can extract the dataset for any area I'm planning to visit, and render my own Garmin compatible maps, highlighting whatever I want. If the dataset is incomplete or buggy, I can fix it. IMHO, this is better than any of the proprietary Garmin options.

I think you should look into the Garmin XT products. All you need is a WinMo smartphone with GPS and a microSD card slot.

d) They're not going to use the crappy GPS receiver of an iphone. If they needed a GPS they can buy a decent garmin for half the price at an official retailer store. http://www8.garmin.com/cgi-bin/dealers.pl?country=Egypt

For the little I know of Egypt I will assume that someone didn't get a decent baksheesh...

When the nano is connected to a pc - the data can be sent to a Nike site that does all the other stuff mentioned in the other reply to your post.

May be, the parent was confusing it with something like the Garmin Forerunner 405.

That one can share its data wirelessly either to a PC/web or directly to other 405 watches.

The Garmin Nuvi Phone should be available in a few months:
    Here's a Review
    Garmin's Site

I'd like to get one a these, although I don't travel as much.

Who on earth needs a skillset like that?

Then, he will scoop up all of the unemployable engineers at slave labor wages, laughing the entire time while sitting atop his throne made of golden skulls. In fact, this article was probably penned while he sat atop said throne.

And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling kids.

I'm planning on waiting to see what Garmin is coming out with. The Nuvifone looks good to me since I'm more of a GPS Geek that an music player. Check out http://www8.garmin.com/nuvifone/

NTPD isn't good enough for me -- bad weather on the Internet has caused my server to loose synchronization one too many times, which can be mighty irritating when comparing your log files with those of other systems. On the other hand, acquiring an atomic clock seems a bit over the top to me. So, I figured a good compromise solution would be to connect a GPS receiver to my serial port and synchronize NTPD to that. I've ordered a Garmin GPS 18 OEM LVC that I will receive later this month (hopefully). According to these instructions it's not that difficult to set up, while the result is microsecond precision on Linux 2.6 and nanosecond precision on BSD -- good enough for me. All you need to do is to make sure that your GPS device has a reasonable view of the sky.

So does this mean that AT&T are denying a market for third party products like Garmin Mobile on Blackberries? If so, I imagine that Garmin might set the lawyers on AT&T.

Speaking of GPS vs. altimeter discrepancy - I've discovered even a WAAS enabled Garmin GPSMap 296 doesn't always agree w/ the airplane's altimeter. Unfortunately, at higher altitudes, the GPS errored several hundred feet on the high side (could possibly steer you into terrain in some cases if you were relying on it to keep you XXX feet above terrain) compared to the plane's altimeter, which was generally set to the nearest airport or whatever ATC provided. On the ground, however, they did agree. I was inclined to believe the altimeter, as the pressure altitude given by the Mode C transponder (which is always set to 29.92, then corrected by ATC to current barometer) was the same when ATC reported my altitude to other aircraft. Fortunately, it's a VFR (i.e. not in the clouds) only GPS (and wasn't mine, but borrowed), so I wouldn't be betting my life on it for terrain avoidance. In reality, it may have been a differing altimeter setting used on both ends that caused that discrepency. W/o a radar altimeter (which only works for a few thousand feet AGL), one will never know.

However, it gave me some "insight" into how GPS may not be 100% accurate for altitude (especially when the altimeter setting may provide different results than true altitude. Compound that with the possibility of a WAAS outage, and radar might seem like a nice alternative.

Since ADS-B is GPS based, I'd hope that ultimately, all planes and ATC agreed on what altitude they're at vs. what they're assigned to. While ADS-B will greatly reduce workload and may improve safety, I'd hate to see it completely supplant radar, even if radar is a backup only.

Despite the somewhat high cost of the avionics, the real expense is the ground stations and the infrastructure to process all the data.

Maybe they have registered under the software clausule?

If i got a gps antenna, i could have a gps "device" that factors in traffic.

Already exists. I got a chance to play with one. It was quite cool: on my daily drive from work, it would route me differently on different days, depending on the traffic situation on the highway. It's still a bit expensive for me, but I'll probably buy one sooner or later (the c580 is cheaper, but I like the large screen of the 680).

The Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx is built to be used in the sun, and its LCD is easily visible in bright light--the brighter, the better, in fact.

--Bruce

At the moment I'm spending a year going through Asia and a few other countries around the globe. I carry with me:

Garmin 72 GPS Device: If doing any trekking into remote jungle areas or mountains, geocaching, confluence hunting, etc, get one of these. They're waterproof, rugged as hell, some models have backlit screens, and so forth. Check Garmin's website for model information.

Water Purification Devices: I carry multiple systems. Firstly I carry an electronic pen-shaped device that purifies water using a concoction created using rock salt and some electronic process which you then dump into your water container/nalgene bottle.

Hands down the best water purification gadget is the standard pump filter. They're fairly compact, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive at around $100 for a good one. They're especially handy since they're simple to use, require very little setup, and provide instant clean water from any source. Iodine drops and other purification methods usually require you to wait around 30+ minutes before drinking your treated water.

Carry iodine or some other tablets as a backup.

Lockpicks: I also carry a set of lockpicks. I've had to hotwire a motorbike so far, unlock half a dozen guesthouse rooms for myself or others due to misplaced keys (usually following a night of heavy drinking). These things maybe aren't technically "gadgets," but they're handy.

Universal Electric Conversion Kits: You can find these at Brookstone or wherever. Great for plugging in your devices for charging anywhere in any outlet. The little cases are fairly compact as well. Make sure you get one that also does voltage/power conversions since not all countries provide the same amounts of electricity out of their sockets and might fry your electronics.

Space blankets: Not technically a "gadget," but MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST ONE SPACE BLANKET in your backpack. You know... those highly reflective little bundles of silvery stuff that repel heat in case of fires and such? They're also great in intense cold by retaining body heat around you. I've literally had my life saved by one once a few months ago when I got trapped in a cave in Tibet up around 4000m in elevation. I would have frozen to death without it.

I also built a shelter out of it when I camped on the Great Wall of China because it was pouring rain and I was miles away from anywhere. They're very versatile, and quite large.

That's about it beyond ipods and other less useful gadgets that I carry more out of choice than any sort of necessity. Obviously don't neglect essentials like bug-spray and rope... but that's it off the top of my head as far as electronics go.

the GPS is weighty and it's extra cumbersome having to lug around a spare set of batteries.

Make sure you pack a towel. (and GPS!)

If you fit it with one of these, you'll always know where your towel is.

On the subject of Palm, its unfortunate that the standalone PDA is fading away.

• HP
• Palm
• Garmin

GPS is geostationary. 24 hour orbit. That's why it doesn't work for large chunks of Russia.

Yup. I still use a Garmin GPSMap76 which is pretty much exactly the same design albeit much newer :). So again keys-top screen-bottom isn't new at all.

When you apply for a patent you have to live up to three criteria:
1 - Your idea must not have been in the public domain before you file your patent aplication
2 - Your idea must not be obvious to a skilled expert in the field of the invention
3 - Your idea must be usable

Well, to me it seems that this is pretty obvoius to any engineer in the mobile phone market, and both this phonehttp://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/serene- bang--olufsens-upside-down-cellphone-210756.php and this phone http://www.garmin.com/products/gps12/ already have upside down displays.

So I hardly see how this can justify a patent... Of course it could all be about business practices, there is nobody stopping me from applying for a patent on the wheel, I just won't get it. But my competitors won't know that for a year or two..

I bought a Garmin GPS12 back in '98 that had the screen on the bottom. It made for great one-hand used.

I guess adding "cellphone" to a design is just like adding "on the Internet" to a business plan.

I just realized I chose a poor example vs pricepoint. Look at this. This unit has been on the market since 2001 and features a waterproof power port. This new unit is also a good represenative.
Phil

I just realized I chose a poor example vs pricepoint. Look at this. This unit has been on the market since 2001 and features a waterproof power port. This new unit is also a good represenative.
Phil

I sell marine GPS units. Waterproof (JIS7) GPS units have exposed USB connectors, power connectors and more, but are still watertight even without the dust caps on. It is sad to see the need for caps that must be replaced to guarentee watertightness.
Phil

Flying an aircraft is a lot easier than driving a car. It is actually pretty easy to automate as well. Most aircraft has autopilots that allow the pilot to just enter the destination, and the autopilot flies the entire route and pattern. see http://www.garmin.com/products/gns530/ for example.

An example of a very good UI is between the brain and the body. Just watch a tennis player or a downhill skier. This is certainly much more complicated than flying a 747, and still the athlete often find it easy; "in the zone".

Basically, a UI that completely vanishes is a good UI. If you know it is there it is not a good UI.

I have several Sony products here which work perfectly well, and always have. One is a VAIO PCG-FXA36 laptop with a 1 GHZ AMD cpu, firewire, 15" screen, tv out, dvd/cdrewriter, and floppy drive, which I bought in december 2001. Another is a DCR-PC9 miniDV cam with nightshot, steadyshot, firewire, usb, memory stick, tv-out, 10x optical zoom, 120x digital zoom. bought at roughly the same time.

Both these items were taken on a long trip to various places, like across the US 3 times by car, around Australia, by car, plane, and train, to Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, where they were subjected to extremes of temperature, humidity, vibration stresses, and rain. They both operated flawlessly throughout that trip (duration 9 months) and I used the camera to capture video which was then transferred to the laptop, edited, and uploaded to my website as a kind of travel "blog" (the word didn't exist back then).

Since then they have continued to work flawlessly, and I have added a bullet cam and a LANC to the DV-cam so I can take video via a remote control whilst driving. Also, I have a Garmin sat nav which when connected to the laptop and running Infomap navigator I can plot and navigate routes full screen when driving. I am working on combining the two inputs (video and gps) to create a dbase that allows you to select a route and see the actual road that route consists of. Google Maps would be a nice interface.

The laptop has only one flaw now, and that is because while I was pissed I dropped it, and it landed on the wireless pcmcia card, breaking the connector right off the motherboard. I removed the broken bits to stop them rattling and possibly causing shorts and the laptop continues to run as well as it ever did.

So you may be correct when you diss Sony for their quality these days, but my Sony gear, which is coming up on 5 years old, is perfectly functioning. Of course the items mentioned weren't cheap to buy ($1600 laptop, $1400 DV-cam) but maybe if you pay for the higher spec, you actually get a higher spec of components, not just capability, and also better reliability. Which leads me to think that maybe Sony these days is trying to compete on price, which leads to lower spec equipment. I can't say for sure because I don't need to replace the items I have, they still work !

The Garmin NavTalk had a phone that did this back in 99 in the US. It was an AMPS phone and sent the positions via quick burst of DTMF tones. It was a cute trick for an analog phone. You could see your position on the map display, the person you were talking to, and get navigation information to lead you to them. They did a GSM version, but if was European only and I never saw that one.

You had some control as to who could poll your position, or you could trigger a "send". A couple companies had web sites that would let you see the position of the phones on a map. They did it by decoding the DTMF tones the Garmin spit out.

http://www.garmin.com/products/navTalk/

I'm currently running 55km each week. I usually carry:

• Keys
• some money (in case I break down and need a cap, happened once)
• iPod nano (for listening to music and language courses)
• Garmin Forerunner 301 with GPS and heart rate monitor

I love the Garmin (worn like a wrist watch, but makes a Casio GShock look tiny), but hate the fact that GPS and large buildings do not really match. Living in Berlin there is no way to avoid them without getting out of town first. I always run the same route and the distance measured by the Garmin varies about 10% each time.

So I'd actually consider to add the sensor as an addition to what I'm already wearing, just to gain accuracy (yes, running can make you quite obsessive). I'd probably keep the Garmin due to the heart rate monitor and some other nice features. The price of the sensor is neglectable compared to the shoes and cloth I wear out per year, the worst thing would be eventually being forced to switch the shoe brand.

I am possibly close to the perfect target group: I run a lot, I care a lot about how much I run, I listen to music and more while I run. I would match perfectly if I had not already tried to satisfy my desires with appropriate technology. So the only remaining upsale will be for Nike.

I've got a Garmin Forerunner.

Love it.

Absolutely useless when I train in the winter on my treadmill...

I *will* be looking into this bit of kit, thank you very much.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your viewpoint, the FAA is quite reluctant to accept any significant changes in GA because, you know the saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, there has been multiple leaps in the technology implemented in small airplanes over the past few years.

For example, instead of carburetors, most new planes now come with a FADEC system that handles the fuel injection into each individual cylinder, increasing performance and ridding the pilot of that pesky mixture control lever. Also, this system gives you real time status information on each cylinder so you can monitor their performance and detect a problem before it becomes too serious. About the mags, I can't really see why you'd want to get rid of them, they really are a pilot's best friend because even a total electrical failure (well almost anyways) cannot stop the magneto from sparking the engine. You have to always remember that aviation is practically married to redundancy, and for good reason.

While you did mention GPS being added into planes now, that's really only half the story. Glass cockpits are literally revolutionizing how we fly. Take a look at the good 'ol 152 cockpit then and now, there's a pretty big difference, no? The GPS is also going to make traveling to smaller airports in IMC a much greater experience when WASS/LAAS and TLS approaches become implemented around airports in the upcoming years.

Besides the GPS, ideas such as 'live' radar via XM radio, as well as a much more affordable radar dish are making storm traversal a much easier, safer thing for light airplanes, while Mode S transponders are finally bringing collision avoidance systems down from the major airlines to general aviation which I'm sure you'll agree is a major advantage.

Going outside the cockpit, we find that airplanes are beginning to be made with composite materials which are both lighter and stronger. However the high cost associated with manufacturing them, as well its unknown safety factor, are keeping it from being too widely accepted. The cirrus even designed a parachute for the entire plane. Overall, while the major design of airplanes have basically remained the same, I would say that there has been many great innovative improvements in general aviation that are changing the way pilot's fly.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your viewpoint, the FAA is quite reluctant to accept any significant changes in GA because, you know the saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, there has been multiple leaps in the technology implemented in small airplanes over the past few years.

For example, instead of carburetors, most new planes now come with a FADEC system that handles the fuel injection into each individual cylinder, increasing performance and ridding the pilot of that pesky mixture control lever. Also, this system gives you real time status information on each cylinder so you can monitor their performance and detect a problem before it becomes too serious. About the mags, I can't really see why you'd want to get rid of them, they really are a pilot's best friend because even a total electrical failure (well almost anyways) cannot stop the magneto from sparking the engine. You have to always remember that aviation is practically married to redundancy, and for good reason.

While you did mention GPS being added into planes now, that's really only half the story. Glass cockpits are literally revolutionizing how we fly. Take a look at the good 'ol 152 cockpit then and now, there's a pretty big difference, no? The GPS is also going to make traveling to smaller airports in IMC a much greater experience when WASS/LAAS and TLS approaches become implemented around airports in the upcoming years.

Besides the GPS, ideas such as 'live' radar via XM radio, as well as a much more affordable radar dish are making storm traversal a much easier, safer thing for light airplanes, while Mode S transponders are finally bringing collision avoidance systems down from the major airlines to general aviation which I'm sure you'll agree is a major advantage.

Going outside the cockpit, we find that airplanes are beginning to be made with composite materials which are both lighter and stronger. However the high cost associated with manufacturing them, as well its unknown safety factor, are keeping it from being too widely accepted. The cirrus even designed a parachute for the entire plane. Overall, while the major design of airplanes have basically remained the same, I would say that there has been many great innovative improvements in general aviation that are changing the way pilot's fly.

Are there other phones with GPS capabilities? I could see a lot of useful applications for that - if they make it tiny & easy enough, it would eliminate the need for GPS receivers (obviously) - if I am in a large parking lot, at a sports event or something, it would make for a pretty easy way to meet up with friends & whatnot, if I can just get my phone to send their phone my GPS coordinates.

Well, it's not a phone, but it allows voice communication: Garmin makes the Rino Radios which have both voice and GPS tracking of friends integrated.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/images/xd-pistol /XD9810Large.jpg
and
http://www.garmin.com/products/etrexVenturecx/#
and
Cell phone of your choice.

These should keep you safe and keep you from getting lost. Of course, you will have to manage to keep fresh batteries in the GPS, but if you turn it on occasionally, you should get several days out of one set. Also, a solar panel can help keep the phone topped off.

Of course, you also have the option of getting a higher-end cell phone with GPS built-in, and then subscribe to service which can provide directions. In that case, you may want to consider dropping the separate GPS.

Actually, I'm a pilot and regularly update the navigation database in my GPS. There are plenty of flash memory devices inside aviation Global Positioning Systems, some of which are FAA-certified for IFR flight and are coupled to auto-pilot systems. There are even complete guidance systems that run on a computer. (Although all planes with those also have the backup "steam guages," and I for one, would not go totally electronic yet.) Most small-plane crashes are due to pilot error rather than mechanical failures, however.

What the cheaper, larger-capacity hard drives will do for me is let me build my own system (similar to this) that could do additional things, like hold approach plates. Best of all, I could do it all for far less.

But you're right, I really don't know how our aerospace industry works, I just know how to fly, navigate, and communicate using various devices. If you're that worried about radiation affecting any flash drives at altitudes, you probably shouldn't be flying on any modern airliners.

PS: I learned to fly when I got sick of airsims and wanted to do the real thing.

Actually, I'm a pilot and regularly update the navigation database in my GPS. There are plenty of flash memory devices inside aviation Global Positioning Systems, some of which are FAA-certified for IFR flight and are coupled to auto-pilot systems. There are even complete guidance systems that run on a computer. (Although all planes with those also have the backup "steam guages," and I for one, would not go totally electronic yet.) Most small-plane crashes are due to pilot error rather than mechanical failures, however.

What the cheaper, larger-capacity hard drives will do for me is let me build my own system (similar to this) that could do additional things, like hold approach plates. Best of all, I could do it all for far less.

But you're right, I really don't know how our aerospace industry works, I just know how to fly, navigate, and communicate using various devices. If you're that worried about radiation affecting any flash drives at altitudes, you probably shouldn't be flying on any modern airliners.

PS: I learned to fly when I got sick of airsims and wanted to do the real thing.

Actually, I'm a pilot and regularly update the navigation database in my GPS. There are plenty of flash memory devices inside aviation Global Positioning Systems, some of which are FAA-certified for IFR flight and are coupled to auto-pilot systems. There are even complete guidance systems that run on a computer. (Although all planes with those also have the backup "steam guages," and I for one, would not go totally electronic yet.) Most small-plane crashes are due to pilot error rather than mechanical failures, however.

What the cheaper, larger-capacity hard drives will do for me is let me build my own system (similar to this) that could do additional things, like hold approach plates. Best of all, I could do it all for far less.

But you're right, I really don't know how our aerospace industry works, I just know how to fly, navigate, and communicate using various devices. If you're that worried about radiation affecting any flash drives at altitudes, you probably shouldn't be flying on any modern airliners.

PS: I learned to fly when I got sick of airsims and wanted to do the real thing.

Sure

What about the GPS watches like the Garmin Foretrex?

Anyways, I use a GPSMap 60CS with the car kit, and it is a invaluable, especially when driving around a new city in the dark.

But like anything, you must learn to use it. The GPS tracking itself is extremely accurate, but the maps are somewhat less so. You cannot drive safely or effectively if you watch the GPS too closely, and try to literally trace out your path on the map. Insteaad, you should glance at the GPS and see "OK, I need to get on I-15 going south," and then follow the road signs to do it. You use the GPS to give you knowledge of your next turn, but then you use your eyeballs through the windows to apply it.

Finally, you must not get a new GPS and set out on unfamiliar roads immediately. You need a little practice in your own neighborhood to instantly understand the displays and work the interface. I wonder if the subjects of this study were novice users of the devices? If so, that's a big limitation of the results.

Maybe something like this product from Garmin: http://www.garmin.com/products/gtm10/index.jsp using their service for 60$/year?

Not of small towns necessarily, but of regions and states, sure. I have been using a Garmin GPSMap 76 with thier Mapsource software and while it is good for trip planning and the occasional re-routing, it take fore thought to load the maps and really doens't give a good overview of where you are, where you are going, and where you will be.

Paper maps are exremely useful if your lost and trying to figure out how to get back to where you need to be. Now you can say with a GPS, you never get lost because you always know where you are (and let's just assume you don't loose signal), that is true. But to get back to where you want to go via roads, not as the crow flies typically means. Zoom out to see where you are and try to figure out where you need to be. Try to mouse over roads to get names (which by the way are often route numbers when locally they are named and vice versa and I have seen this on Mapsource, Streets adn Maps, google, and other mapping applications (is other mapping software better)), zoom in to get better pointer resolution, zoom to get context again, set way points, zoom in ... Well, you get the idea.

Granted the GPSMap 76 wasn't designed to be a guide by wire mapping product, but it does a nice job and has gotten me out of a few jams.

If someone told me I had to make a choice between paper maps and electronic ones for the rest of my life, today, I would go with paper. They are more reilaible on so many levels and useable. Besides, they are fun to toss out the window when you get more lost using them.

No, they don't. At least the vast majority of them do not have GPS. There are very few exceptions to this, and you would probably know if your phone had GPS, because the manufacturer would be advertising this feature in large, bold letters all over the packaging, the phone, the manual, everywhere. One exception: the garmin navtalk gsm

Besides, for GPS you need a rather bulky antenna (in comparison with what you can get away with in G3 or GSM phones), something that won't go unnoticed with the small phones available today. On top of all that, GPS receivers are rather battery hungry, and even more so if they don't have good reception, which is highly likely since GPS requires an unobstructed view of the sky, so say goodbye to standby times exceeding one measily day.

A GPS-reciever in the phone won't help you indoors, under dense forest canopy or even while in your pocket.

The GIS unit in the Cameroon (in West Africa, for the geography-challenged) office of an international development organisation that I work for. We use the following to map out villages (water supplies etc):

• GPS receivers: Garmin eTrex summit (has in-built altimeter!); Garmin GPS 76; and Garmin eTrex personal.
• Software: MapSource (we get the CD with each batch of receivers that we buy from Garmin); ArcView (or, as of now, ArcGIS -- if you can afford it).
• Altimeter: pocket altimeters from Thommen.

The Garmin GPS 76 is currently my favourite; large screen and easy to use-- unfortunately it has no altimeter (I hear it uses triangulation or some such to get altitude).There're lots of other things but they're not strictly necessary at the beginning.

/fotang

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Sometimes reality is better than you know... ;^)