Category — POIs

How To Use A GPS Device To Avoid Traffic Tickets

by Justin

PhantomAlert

While speed traps are definitely a good thing in terms of safety and accident prevention, it always sucks when you’re in an unfamiliar area where your knowledge of speed limits, etc., etc. isn’t quite up to par and, flash, next thing you know you get a pricey traffic ticket in the mail.

Thanks to PhantomAlert.com, a website that has compiled an extensive database of both American and Canadian speed trap and red light camera locations, you can import the entire 3400 troublespot database to your Garmin, TomTom, Magellan, or other compatible device by connected you GPS device to your PC via USB. Once imported, every time you happen to approach a speed trap or red light camera, your GPS unit will alert you with both audio and visual warnings. If you happen to be one of the unlucky few that hit a trap that isn’t in the database yet, you can head to the PhantomAlert website and contribute all the details yourself.

The database is free to download and use for one year, after which a $25 annual subscription fee covers updates. Plus if you’re still looking to jump on the GPS bandwagon, you can purchase a unit from PhantomAlert and receive free updates for life.

via yahoo tech

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June 28, 2008 No Comments

Garmin Mobile Goes Google Loco…Local

by Justin

An upcoming version of Garmin Mobile will have the added ability to search Google Local adding a virtually unlimited number of possible POIs to Garmin’s database of nearly 6 million. No matter where you are, you’ll be able to find pretty much any and every point of interest. The Google Local feature is not expected to be accessible until July.

Via GPS Review

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April 2, 2008 No Comments

Wikitude Allows TomTom And Garmin Users To Generate POIs From Wikipedia

by Justin

Wikitude is a neat site for generating POIs for either your GPS device or Google Earth. Presently it only has the option of outputing POIs uploadable to TomTom GPS units, but I’m sure that’ll expand to include the likes of Garmin in the future. For now though, if you do have a Garmin GPS, there is an online tool called TakItWithMe that will convert the Google Earth KML file Wikitude generates into a GPX file compatible with Garmin units.

What’s really cool about Wikitude is that it uses geographical information from Wikipedia to generate nearly 350, 000 possible POIs. The site has a search feature that splits waypoints into general categories such as “landmarks” or waterbodies, or allows you to type in something more specific. Popular POI categories, POIs by city, and a variety of language options also make navigation of the site simpler as well as accessible for global use.

Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, it’ll be displayed on a Google Maps mash-up, with a bubble containing geographical information about the location as well as links to the actual Wikipedia article or the downloadable KML file or ov2 file for you TomTom unit.

Definitely a neat service guaranteed to generate the world traveler some fantastic POIs.

Via Google Earth