GPS Tracklog

The Return of Waypoints

Between the holidays, a baby in the house, a trip to Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show and a cross-country move, I've let Waypoints slide since late last year. We're settling in nicely in our new digs now, and I'm actually finding time for a link roundup. Many thanks to all our loyal readers for their patience.

Top stories

• Dash delays shipping the Dash Express by a month. And GPS Review covers has a new Dash video.
• Garmin has released new firmware (v 2.40) for the Colorado series. Here are the links -- 300, 400t, 400i, 400c. Changes include improved backlight, NiMH battery, geocaching, and custom POI support. There is a discussion thread at Groundspeak. In case you missed it, here is my Garmin Colorado 300 review.

Waypoints - December 9, 2007

Waypoints is a weekly linkfest of GPS related odds and ends, tips and tidbits, flotsam and jetsam...

GPS in the news

• Travel icon Arthur Frommer just saw his first GPS in action. Seriously. Via All Points Blog.
• GPS manufacturers to use game themes. Not really. Via Digg.
• British towns say take us off your GPS maps!
• GPS used to map California's Mount Diablo, a prominent peak in the SF Bay Area. A couple of years ago, my wife and I circumnavigated Mt. Diablo on mountain bikes,and I posted about using GPS tracks to plan the trip.
• Hacking an NYC taxi GPS.

Waypoints - December 1, 2007

Waypoints is a weekly posting of news shorts, links and other odds and ends for the week.

Custom POIs

I've updated my custom POI resource page with the following links:

• POI Factory has an extensive list of POI files.
• POI Factory has several POI-cenrtric forums.
• Another U.S. POI database.
• RouteConverter supports Navigon, Route 66 and TomTom POI file formats. Via Navigadget.
• POIs can be loaded to Navigon units using POI-Warner.
• More POI conversion tools and other resources are listed at GPS-Data-Team.com.
• POI Download UK focuses on the UK (of course).
• I've updated the link to Garmin's list of POI sources.
• POI Plaza has POIs from around the world.

Magellan Tritons

• Magellan has posted video demos of VantagePoint software and the Triton 2000.
• Meanwhile National Geographic has posted a PDF how-to guide for uploading maps to the Tritons.
• And Magellan has signed up another mapping partner with snowmobile and equestrian maps.
• A PDF of the Triton 200/300/400/500 owners manual has been posted in the Triton Yahoo group.

GPS hacks

• A text to speech hack for the Mio C320. Via Digg.
• Phrack, an online hacker magazine, has posted instructions for a home made GPS jammer.

Blasts from the past

• 1958 Disney film predicts GPS with traffic data (second video on screen). Via Digg.
• A 1981 pre-GPS navigation unit.

Waypoints - Special back to work edition

After a crazy Black Friday and a slacker Cyber Monday, here's a link round up for your reading pleasure. Just to ease you back into the work week.

Garmin

• The Garmin garage has vehicle icons for your nuvi, zumo or StreetPilot c series.
• Win a Garmin nuvi 260.
• Garmin has posted firmware updates for the eTrex H and StreetPilot 2820.
• There is a Garmin nuvi 2xx firmware update available via WebUpdater only. Thanks for the tip Zane!
• Garmin has updated MapSource to version 6.13.5.
• Buy a Volvo; get a Garmin nuvi 760.

Waypoints - November 18, 2007

Waypoints is a collection of GPS news shorts from the past week...

Garmin

• Garmin has posted firmware updates for the eTrex H, Forerunner 205 and 305, and the nuvi 660, 750, 760 and 770.
• GpsPasSion has some reports on the nuvi firmware improvements.
  
• Garmin has the greatest mind-share.

TomTom

• TomTom is having problems with their Navcore 7 update.
• More details on the TomTom ONE LE.

Waypoints - November 10, 2007

Waypoints is a collection of GPS news shorts from the past week...

Garmin / TomTom / Tele Atlas

• The Financial Times thinks Garmin has become a takeover target. They list Siemens, Qualcomm and Microsoft as potential buyers. Via APB.
• Why Microsoft should buy Garmin.
• TomTom ups the ante.
• And acquires a 28.3% stake in Tele Atlas. So, as GPS Business News reports, "...should Garmin win this bidding war, it may have to contend with a company in which TomTom has a significant shareholder stake and is a major customer."
• From Barron's - "In the end, neither Garmin nor TomTom believes deep down that the other company, or Nokia for that matter, will play fair and keep prices reasonable...They also worry that as new mapping features
  become available, the other wouldn't make these quickly available to a
  rival. The bottom line is that they don't trust each other." Via BlinkGeo.
• Are there significant barriers to entry for a new map data company?
  

Waypoints - November 3, 2007

Waypoints is a collection of GPS news shorts from the past week...

GPS hardware

• Garmin is giving away twenty nuvi 200s. Enter the contest here.
• Magellan has posted a product page for the RoadMate 1200, so I guess its no longer a stealth product.
• Meanwhile, TomTom has posted product pages for the GO 920 and 920T.
• GPS Lodge has posted a review of the Nextar C-3.
• The SPOT satellite messenger (PDF) is now shipping.
• Panasonic enters the U.S. PND market with a thud. A measly 1.8 million POIs for $499.95. Yeah, right.
• Another Ultra-Mobile PC with GPS.
  

Waypoints - October 28, 2007

Odds and ends from the past week...

Garmin

• Garmin has posted firmware updates for the eTrex H, StreePilot c530, c550 and c580.
• The pink nuvi comes to Europe.

Mio

• A Mio TMC page has been posted. Discussion at GpsPasSion.
• Mio traffic services in Australia.
• A Mio C520 POI loader.

Dash

• Backstage Dash talk -- there are a few good tidbits here like "The Dash will let drivers let other Dash users know if there's a cop in the area!"
• Jasper Wireless says Dash may lower its monthly fees.
• Wired on the Dash Express.

Waypoints - October 20, 2007

Waypoints is our weekly link round up.

GPS Hardware

• The Nokia N810 is an Internet tablet with integrated GPS. $479 with a 4.13" screen. Watch out Garmin!
• Technical-Itch reviews the Navman N40i.
• Navigon has a $50 rebate on the Navigon 7100 and 5100.
• There is good info on buying blank micro-SD cards for Garmin handhelds in this Groundspeak thread.
• Mio unveils a unit with a 7" screen, but there is no indication it will ever make it to the U.S.

Waypoints - October 13, 2007

Waypoints is our weekly link round up.

GPS in the news

• Here's a blind guy who plans to use his GPS to help him through hike the Appalachian Trail solo!
  
• Is GPS hotter than cell phones, iPhones, iPods, the PS3 or Wii? (PDF)
• OnStar will soon be able to slow a stolen vehicle.