GPS obsessed

According to this hilarious history of Mio, at least Mio navigators were available long before the wheel was invented.  Extrapolating, I guess that would mean civilian GPS satellites were around long before the early 1990’s!

via gpslodge

TomTom’s looking to get a little more personal and intimate with voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, adding Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall to the growing list of celebrity voices that can be downloaded to their GPS navigators via Navtones.  Samantha Jones, one of the more sexually uninhibited characters on the City, and played by Cattrall, is the personality behind the voice adding lines like “Don’t touch my Manolos” to the traditional “Turn left in two blocks”-type directions.  The new voice will cost $12.95 and €9.95 and download instructions can be found at TomTom Plus Services.

Garmin’s Edge 705 line of GPS navigator and bicycle computers will now include a special edition Team Garmin Edge 705 model with the same orange and blue argyle design you saw on the pros’ bikes in the 2008 Tour de France.  Aside from GPS navigation with City Navigator mapping, turn-by-turn directions and millions of POIs , the Team Garmin Edge 705 has tons of features specific to cyclists including a heart-rate monitor, speed and cadence sensor, and the ability to share data with fellow cyclists wirelessly using ANT+ wireless technology.  Check out the full release after the jump for all the details!

OLATHE, Kan. -(Business Wire)- Sep 23, 2008 Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today that its innovative line of Edge cycling computers will now include a Team Garmin model, inspired by the iconic orange and blue argyle pattern made popular around the world by professional cycling’s Team Garmin-Chipotle presented by H3O. The Team Garmin Edge 705 is being introduced this week at Interbike in Las Vegas.

The Edge 705 represents several breakthroughs in cycling technology, including power compatibility, wireless unit-to-unit connectivity and the ability to monitor GPS position, heart rate, speed, cadence, altitude and gradient on the same display. The sleek orange and blue Team Garmin edition of the Edge 705, which was first seen on Team Garmin’s handlebars at the 2008 Tour de France, comes bundled with a heart-rate monitor, speed and cadence sensor and City Navigator mapping, which provides turn-by-turn directions and millions of preloaded points of interest. And Team Garmin athletes and recreational cyclists alike can share data – including official race courses, saved rides, waypoints and workouts -through ANT+^TM wireless technology.

“As a professional athlete using the Edge 705, I’m assured that I’ll always have the accurate data and instant feedback that I need to give me every possible advantage in training and racing,” said Team Garmin leader Christian Vande Velde, fresh off his victory in the Tour of Missouri and fifth-place finish in the Tour de France. “And as an everyday cyclist, I’m assured that I’ll always be able to find my way home – even if home is a hotel room in a distant city.”

Vande Velde and two of his fellow Team Garmin cyclists from the Tour de France, Stage 3 runner-up Will Frischkorn and Canadian climber Ryder Hesjedal, will be meeting fans, signing autographs and discussing the Edge 705 from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday of Interbike (Sept. 24-25) in the Garmin booth #2630.

Team Garmin has made headlines and impressed fans around the globe by pairing innovative technology with a strict anti-doping stance. In tackling the world’s toughest races – and redefining the face of cycling – Team Garmin relies on the Edge 705 on their bikes and nüvi personal navigation devices in their cars.

“The mapping capabilities and turn-by-turn directions available on the Edge 705 provide details about the twisting roads ahead,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports, LLC, the sports management company that runs Team Garmin. “So rather than relying on our radios to describe changes in terrain, direction or elevation, we can focus on tactical discussions that put us in position to win the race.”

Slipstream Sports is dedicated to promoting ethical competition and developing the next generation of cycling champions. In 2007, Slipstream partnered with the independent Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), to create the most progressive anti-doping system in the professional sports world. The team of 25 riders undergoes combined voluntary testing at least 700 times throughout the cycling season. Vaughters’ staunch “ride clean or go home” philosophy earned him a nomination by Sports Illustrated for the prestigious Sportsman of the Year award.

Recreational cyclists can join Team Garmin and its coaches in tracking their progress, sharing workouts and participating in an online community – even sharing recent rides with fellow riders around the world. Garmin Connect displays measurements such as time, distance, speed, elevation and heart rate. This information is shown through charts, illustrations, reports and a variety of map representations including street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps as well as the popular Google Earth application.

Garmin and Slipstream Sports share similar success stories rooted in hard work, innovation and an unwavering insistence on quality results. Just as Garmin is a global leader with facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia, the Slipstream squad assembled elite athletes from around the world.

For details about availability and pricing for the Team Garmin Edge 705, go to www.garmin.com. For more information on Team Garmin and Slipstream Sports, visit www.garmin.com/teamgarmin, www.garmin.blogs.com and www.slipstreamsports.com.

About Slipstream Sports

Founded in 2005, Slipstream Sports LLC is a highly progressive sports management company dedicated solely to promoting the ethical growth of American cycling.

About Team Garmin-Chipotle Presented by H30

Owned and managed by Slipstream Sports, a sports marketing and development company, Team Garmin-Chipotle presented by H30 is dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions. In 2007, Slipstream partnered with Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), to create the most progressive anti-doping system in the professional sports world. Each of the team’s 25 riders undergo combined voluntary testing at least 700 times throughout the 2008 season, 20 times the number of tests that most professional cyclists are subject to annually. Additional information is available at www.slipstreamsports.com.

About Garmin International

Garmin International Inc. is a member of the Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) group of companies, which designs and manufactures navigation, communication and information devices – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin is a leader in the general aviation and consumer GPS markets and its products serve aviation, marine, outdoor recreation, automotive, wireless and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin, Edge and nüvi are registered trademarks, and ANT+ and Garmin Connect are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Anticipated product availability dates are based on management’s current expectations and are not guaranteed.

All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

The other day when I told you that Geotate and SiGe had teamed up to bring geotagging to low-cost digital cameras, I mentioned that camera maker DXG would be releasing the first model utilizing the two technologies.  Turns out its a video camera and I misinterpreted the press release.  In a separate collaboration, DXG has integrated Geotate’s Yuma geotagging software into their DVH586 camcorder platform, enabling film footage to have the same location metadata as a digital photo.  Says Mark Terry, VP of sales and marketing for Geotate,

Geo-aware content is the next evolutionary step for video-sharing sites. The reality is that Geotate’s Capture and Process Later software is the only geotagging solution that offers the right user experience at the right price point to penetrate the mass market. Working in close collaboration with DXG, we have together built a production-ready camera capable of finally giving content creators a new, fun way to easily discover films.

So far no release dates or prices have been mentioned, but minus geotagging software DXG’s video cameras are low-cost typically between $150 and $200.

via letsgodigital

Navigon’s 7210 GPS has launched in the United Kingdom. With a minimalist yet effective design, the Navigon 7210 has a widescreen 4.3-inch SmartDisplay that melds into the frame. The guts of the 7210 consist of a 600 Mhz processor, 64 MB of internal memory, 2 GB of flash memory, lithium-ion battery, and car charger with an integrated TMC antennae. Navigon 7210 GPS .The PND also has all the high-end navigation features you’d expect including Landmark View 3D, Voice Recognition Pro, Reality View Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Emergency Help, and Favorites.

One interesting feature we haven’t seen before is Curve Warner, a database of 55, 000 dangerous curves in the road, from which the Navigon 7210 draws to warn you both on the display and acoustically. You’re warned well in advance so that you’re not looking at the warning on your 7210 as you drive off of the road!

Anyway, the Navigon 7210 is now available in the United Kingdom for £279.99.

via pocketlint

T-Mobile stops taking Android phone orders-if you’ve been a little slow to the pre-order trigger, you’ll have to wait until at least October 22

GPS navigation is China’s new growth industry-there are upwards of 100 GPS manufacturers in China currently battling for dollars…bringing a whole new meaning to thinning profit margins

Sprint launches XOHM WiMax in Baltimore, will throttle bandwidth-we were excited about talk of XOHM having a location-based backbone, but it looks like all the press will be sucked up by bigtime bandwidth users now

Motorola expands Android team-one of the first members of the Open Handset Alliance has expanded their 50 member Android team to 350 members, meaning the obvious for 2009.  Rumor has it that Nokia and Verizon have their sights set on Android as well.

Mitsubishi’s car navigation system unifies voice, touch operations-coming November 5 to Japan, these two in-car navigation systems come in two models, one seg and full seg, with HDD’s, and voice input of over 10 million destinations.

GPS Lodge has an in-depth review of the Garmin nuvi 755T and despite some initial apprehension regarding the effect of ads on its usability, it was found to be a more-than-fair tradeoff for free realtime traffic.  And there was really nothing negative to say otherwise.  Navigation was solid, advanced features like Lane Assist were effective and it was a definite recommendation for anyone looking at higher-end GPS units.  So keep your eye on it when it hits shelves October 1, it might be worth the $500.

Via GPS Lodge

Pioneer will be letting loose four new AVIC models in Japan in late October-AVIC-HRZ099, AVIC-HRZ088, AVIC-HRV022, and the AVIC-HRV011.  All four models feature a 7-inch LCD display, 40 GB HDD, 1 seg TV tuner AND, get this-playback DVD/CD/WMA/MP3/AAC/DivX files.  Not to mention they’re all iPod-compatible.

The flagship HRZ099 boasts an 800 x 480 screen resolution, but the other models only push out 480 x 234 pixels.  And for those that appreciate the value-added multimedia features of these GPS systems, both the HRZ099 and HRZ088 feature a 50 Watt built-in amplifier.  From the 11 to the 99, prices run from 189, 000 yen to 262, 500 yen.

Pioneer via Akihabara News

We’ve heard of GPS art before, but with all the Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin hype lately this has to be the best example I’ve ever seen.  Duke Wheeler, owner of an Ohio farm, commissioned an artist to draw a portrait of Palin, enter it in a GPS system and then carve it out in the farm field with a John Deere tractor.  The total drawing took somewhere in the area of 8-10 hours and as you can see from the picture above, it’s impressive.

Up until now Loopt has always confined its iPhone users to connecting with those they already know, and while I love the service I’ve always considered that to be a huge limitation.  However, the company has now launched Loopt Mix which eliminates this pesky problem altogether.  The opt-in service lets you see Loopt user profiles of those you don’t know in your area, and without revealing their exact location or name, enables you to contact them and potentially meet new people.  To make things more relevant, Loopt Mix also enables you to search nearby users by interests, tags, or shared communities like those of TechCrunch or RockTheVote.

Sounds pretty cool, eh?  Loopt Mix is available for free in the United States, and is accessible either from your iPhone’s App Store or www.itunes.com/appstore/.

Loopt

via lbszone