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GPS
Cobra SL3 GPS finds traffic cameras, is blind to radar
By Alan Brandon
18:24 July 5, 2009 PDT
At first glance the Cobra SL3 looks like a normal radar detector, but it’s really a GPS-enabled speed camera locator. The SL3 features a built-in, updateable database of speed camera and red-light camera locations. Its LED indicators and alert tones warn you when you approach a camera location so you have time to slow down. Read More
VirtualHUD gives any propeller plane an affordable head-up display
By Loz Blain
02:25 June 25, 2009 PDT
Every now and then, we come across an idea so forehead-slappingly simple, so practical and logical that we have to ask: how come nobody thought of this before? When you have one of those moments, you know the inventor's onto a rip-snorter of a product - and so it is with the VirtualHUD, a super-bright projector that uses the back of a plane's propeller as a screen to create a full-color heads-up display. The system uses similar technology to the augmented reality systems The Mobiler covered recently to overlay instrumental data, as well as GPS points, 'highway in the sky' targets and visual representations of things like no-fly zones, over the pilot's actual view out the cockpit windscreen - all without obscuring natural vision through the propeller. Read More
CATSi - the world's smallest GPS, GSM and RF tracking device
By Darren Quick
01:46 June 24, 2009 PDT
The CATSi, (pronounced cat's eye), is designed to track almost anything, from pets and people through to cars, trucks and motorbikes. Although we’ve seen plently of GPS trackers before, CATS-i is touting the its new product as the world’s smallest, thinnest and most covert GPS, GSM and RF tracking device ever. This means the device can be used in products that have previously been inaccessible to GPS tracking - little Jimmy should have a hard time detecting a CATSi sewn into his jacket for example. Read More
Homer Simpson tells you where to go
By Darren Quick
21:10 June 23, 2009 PDT
While the Knight Rider GPS by Mio lets drivers live out their boyhood fantasies, it may also bring on a slight superiority complex thanks to the refined tones of William Daniels. TomTom users won’t have that problem now that iconic cartoon everyman Homer Simpson is onboard to guide them to the nearest bar or donut shop. Read More
Garmin's handy GPS navigators
By Paul Ridden
21:50 June 22, 2009 PDT
Whether you're just out for a leisurely stroll, out on the piste or on patrol in some remote tundra, Garmin's new personal navigation systems promise to make sure you know everything you need to know to get where you want to be. The Foretrex 401 and Foretrex 301 GPS navigators don't get lost thanks to new technology that allows them to lock on and keep track of positioning satellites even in the most testing of conditions, making these go-anywhere, do-anything, tough, waterproof personal travel gadgets much more than just big wristwatches. Read More
Lonely Planet iPhone travel guides put the world in your pocket
By Jude Garvey
16:22 June 11, 2009 PDT
Gen Y doesn’t know how easy they’ve got it. Young intrepid travelers used to set off on world adventures with little more than their summer savings, a few changes of clothes, a promise to phone home and a well-thumbed guide book. How times have changed. Today’s youth don’t leave home without being wired to the hilt – and that’s just to meet friends at the mall. It seems only logical that Lonely Planet, a 35-year-old guidebook publisher, has just released its City Guide series for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Read More
Belkin TuneCast Auto Live FM Transmitter uses iPhone’s GPS capabilities
By Darren Quick
02:29 June 5, 2009 PDT
Belkin has announced the TuneCast Auto Live, a new FM transmitter for the iPhone that is one of the first devices to take advantage of OS 3.0’s support for third party peripherals. The TuneCast Auto Live acts in conjunction with Belkin’s ClearScan Live software application to display the FM frequency and TuneCast controls on the iPhone’s screen, as well as utilizing the GPS capabilities of the iPhone to identify the clearest FM frequencies, based on geographical data as well as results from other TuneCast Auto users in the same area. Read More
GM’s OnStar predicts injury severity using real-time crash data
By Alan Brandon
18:07 June 2, 2009 PDT
General Motors has announced a new capability for its OnStar service, which the car manufacturer hopes will reduce emergency response times and save lives. The new feature, called Injury Severity Prediction, analyzed real-time vehicle crash telemetry data to predict how severely the occupants may be injured. OnStar then alerts emergency services so that they can react more quickly and appropriately. Read More
Garmin's new Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t GPS for in-car or outdoors
By Mick Webb
19:03 May 19, 2009 PDT
Garmin's latest handheld GPS offering for explorers who like to hit the open road - as well as veer completely off it on foot - crams a 3-axis compass, 850MB of on-board memory and a 3.2 megapixel, 4X optical zoom digital camera into a 6.8 oz., water and weatherproof package with a 3-inch touchscreen interface. Read More
Suunto's new heart rate monitors - laboratory on a wrist
By Darren Quick
18:41 May 14, 2009 PDT
Elite athletes know that training smarter is much better than training harder, and to do that you need to know exactly what's happening in your body. Suunto has introduced its new Triathlon collection heart rate monitors which measure the time interval between heartbeats and its variations to produce seven different body parameters as well as analyze these readings to provide the information needed to maximize their training efforts. Read More
Robotic helicopter teaches itself how to fly aerobatics
By Paul Evans
23:47 May 7, 2009 PDT
Autonomous helicopters offer a highly maneuverable and versatile platform in scenarios like disaster relief operations, but programming these machines to perform complex aerobatics is a formidable challenge - unless of course they teach themselves. This example developed by Stanford computer scientists does just that, learning to fly by watching other RC helicopters in the air. Not only does this artificial intelligence system produce a spectacular flying exhibition, it's seen as an important demonstration of robotic learning through observation. Read More
The search for the best ideas in satellite navigation
By Mike Hanlon
16:13 April 30, 2009 PDT
The Sixth European Satellite Competition is an annual search for the best application ideas for satellite navigation. In recent years, the winning innovations have included a rescue system for persons who have fallen overboard at sea; a mobile, GPS-supported social network; a mobile phone-based guidance system that aids more economical driving; a remote monitoring system for recovering heart patients; a Web 2.0 platform that delivers location-based videos in real time; and a flood prediction system. It's not quite American Idol for entrepreneurs, but there are many similarities. Apart from the monetary prize, success in the competition paves the way to market for your talents, with significant partners. Entries open May 1. Read More
Sony unveils GPS-enabled HD camcorder for travelers
By David Greig
17:51 April 22, 2009 PDT
Sony has backed up its announcement of a GPS-enabled HD camcorder at this year's CES with a new lightweight GPS-enabled model designed to woo the avid traveler. The HDR-TG5V Handycam camcorder includes Navteq digital mapping software which geotags the video or still digital images, 16GB of flash memory, a 10X optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD touch panel with a new intuitive user interface and a hard-coated titanium body designed to withstand the rigors of life on the road. Read More
2-in-1 Mobile Broadband Card caters for ExpressCard and PC Card slots
By Darren Quick
00:14 April 22, 2009 PDT
Here at Gizmag we love gadgets that can transform from one thing into another - be it from a chair to a bed or a car to a boat... if it's 2-in-1, it's sure to get our attention. While possibly not on the same level as these examples, Sprint’s new Sierra Wireless AirCard 402 should come in handy for owners of multiple laptops with its ability to connect to mobile broadband via both ExpressCard and PC Card slots thanks to a locking 2-in1 adapter. Read More
Cuman personal tracking devices for persons, pets or products
By Darren Quick
00:09 April 14, 2009 PDT
While Orwell’s 1984 suggested that human surveillance and tracking would be an integral part of a dystopian future, the reality looks to be quite different, with people quickly embracing GPS technology and the myriad of uses such technology provides. The last few years has seen a range of tracking devices that use GPS to keep track of everything from products and pets to loved ones. The latest player to enter the field is South Korea electronics company Cuman with its range of tracking devices, which picked up the Editor’s List Award recently at CeBIT 2009. Read More
Glacier's W200 Wearable Computer
By Darren Quick
01:37 April 10, 2009 PDT
While laptops have ushered in the era of mobile computing, their form factor still dictates the need to use a desk, table, or at the very least, a lap. Other handheld units are easier to use on the move but would be even better if we had another appendage, given that one hand is rendered useless through the need to hold the device. The solution - wear your computer. This example for Glacier Computer - the new Ridgeline W200 wearable computer - combines the same features of a standard computer with a device that straps to the wrist to provide hands-free operation while retaining full access at all times. Read More
Garmin update Forerunner fitness watch range
By Jude Garvey
01:42 April 3, 2009 PDT
Garmin will release two updated Forerunner fitness watches this Summer, the 310XT and the 405CX. Both come equipped with the latest GPS technology and can be synced wirelessly to the user’s PC or Mac so workout data can be automatically downloaded. Performance information can be acquired by simply tapping the bezel, calorific consumption is calculated by the user's heart rate and the user can even challenge a virtual partner to a workout. Read More
Samsung launches first WiMAX-enabled mobile internet device
By Darren Quick
23:07 April 2, 2009 PDT
One of the new releases attracting a lot of attention at CTIA is the Samsung SWD-M100 Mondi, a mobile WiMAX enabled handheld device that is designed for use with the Clear mobile WiMAX service from Clearwire. The touch screen Mondi includes a slide out lower lip QWERTY keypad and, according to Samsung, ‘many of the powerful features and uses of a laptop computer or netbook,’ in a unit that fits in your pocket. Read More
Garmin introduces long-haul navigation and delivery truck GPS system
By David Greig
22:13 March 18, 2009 PDT
Truckers have special requirements for on-road navigation that most of us wouldn't even consider and GPS units that cater for these needs make a good deal of sense. Garmin has now entered this niche with the announcement of the nüvi® 465T, the company's first portable navigation device designed exclusively for over the road long-haul navigation and delivery trucks. Read More
iPhone OS 3.0 unveiling tomorrow, rumor round-up
By Darren Quick
02:15 March 17, 2009 PDT
Apple is set to preview the iPhone software version 3.0 at an invitation only event on March 17th and, as is traditional in the lead up to any Apple event, the rumormongers have been busy with predictions of what will and won’t be added to the device. So we thought it would be timely to do a bit of a rumor roundup in readiness for the imminent announcement. Read More
Sentience intelligent cruise control demonstrated: you steer, it works the pedals
By Loz Blain
00:39 March 12, 2009 PDT
The driverless car of the future is getting closer every day, as more and more technologies come along that take critical jobs away from the driver and put them in the hands of lightning-fast, all-seeing computers. One of the latest and most ambitious of these systems has just been successfully demonstrated in the UK; the Sentience system is a kind of hyper-intelligent cruise control system designed specifically to minimize fuel consumption and emissions. It calculates the best route for you based on traffic, topography, curves, speed limits and a host of other information, and then actually takes over the throttle and brakes for you for the entire journey. It keeps you strictly within speed limits, slows down for corners, speed bumps and roundabouts, and it even knows when the lights ahead are about to turn red, so you don't waste petrol accelerating towards a stop point. Fuel savings in testing have been between 5% and 24% - a very significant figure - and Sentience is expected to be available on production cars, for a minimal cost, as soon as 2012. Incredible stuff. Read More
New Fully Rugged Getac GPS PDA PS535F with camera, altimeter and e-compass
By Mike Hanlon
23:09 March 2, 2009 PST
Specialist rugged mobile computer manufacturer MiTAC has released details of the Getac PS535F, a next generation fully rugged GPS PDA featuring an auto focus camera, altimeter and E-compass. The PS535F is designed for GIS surveying applications and will find use in the utilities, oil and gas, forestry, geology and mineral resources sectors. These new features will enable field-based workers to capture field data on-site and transmit data back to headquarters in real-time, as well as provide pinpoint navigation support to improve location based productivity. Read More
Acer jumps into the smartphone market
By Darren Quick
22:04 February 26, 2009 PST
Perhaps realizing that consumers really don’t have enough choices when it comes to mobile phones, Acer has decided to jump into the market with the introduction of a new line of smartphones aimed at both home and business users. Acer unveiled the first set of phones to make up their Acer Tempo Smartphone series at the Mobile World Congress held recently in Barcelona. Let’s have a look see at the specs. Read More
Lenovo touts rugged capabilities of Thinkpad range
By Darren Quick
17:43 February 25, 2009 PST
With the number of ruggedized computers hitting the market you’d think that people are running around treating their laptops like last night’s leftovers. Of course that’s not the case, most people use their laptops in pretty clean, stable environments and won’t ever need the rough and ready specs of a ruggedized laptop, but there is a section of the workforce that does. Particularly in the areas of public safety, utilities, construction and the military, and it’s these markets that Lenovo have in mind with their range of eight ThinkPad laptops designated for use in field and vehicle semi-ruggedized computing environments. Read More
Palm Pre: the next big thing in 3G smartphones?
By Tim Hanlon
20:15 February 15, 2009 PST
Announced at CES 2009, Palm's Pre is a 3G smartphone set to take on the iPhone and the G1. Read on to find out why we think it's got a fighting chance of becoming the next "must have" handset. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
