New Magellan eXplorists are out...

Magellan just updated their eXplorist lineup with three new models. These are Magellan eXplorist 510, Magellan eXplorist 610, and Magellan eXplorist 710.

First off, all three new eXplorists come with a 3″ color touch screen, 3.2MP camera with auto focus, mic, speaker to mark waypoints not only with a dot on a map but also include a photo, some audio, or even some video. It’s like geotagging on steroids.

All of the devices come with preloaded maps which include road network for the U.S., Canada, Western Europe and Australia, as well as water features, urban and rural land use, and a realistic shaded relief background. 510, 610, and 710 are all IPX7 waterproof, offer 16 hours of battery life, a digital almanac, and track summary and area calculation feature.

All of them are great for paperless geocaching.

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Motorola A1680

A new GPS capable recently appeared on FCC’s site and we thought we’d mention it. We have a feeling this model already came out in China a while ago but it’s just making it to the U.S. of A.

The new has a 5MP digital camera with flash, a music player – including an FM receiver, WiFi, 3G connectivity, and of course a GPS receiver.

It does have a 3.5mm audio jack, microUSB port, and runs on a 624Mhz processor.

We have no word on pricing and date of availability just yet.

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Yoda Does Voice Directions for Tomtom

A couple of moths ago we mentioned that TomTom doing Stars Wars voices for the GPS navigation systems. They started off with Darth Vader, and now they have Yoda.

Yoda’s voice directions will set you back $13 and you can sample them here if you like.

Guide you there, he will. But take care young Padawan not to exhaust this Jedi master’s patience. The Force is with you but you are not a Jedi yet.

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Knight Rider KITT Voice Guidance

After Yoda and Darth Vader we now have KITT providing driving directions for you – not for TomTom users though this time. It is for Garmin devices, namely the nuvi series and the Garminfone.

The voice pack from Navtones cost $10 and it can even call you by name; provided your name is one of the 700 provided. Other features of the voice pack include various random commentary from KITT along your route.

Of course you can also try to find one of these more integrated version of Knight Rider into your GPS navigation system from Mio.

Related:

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Telenav now offered on U.S. Cellular

While some companies try to get a share of the paid GPS software market one by one by directly offering their product to end consumers Telenav continues to make bigger business to business transactions.

Telenav’s software is already offered by default by many mobile operators and last week they just added U.S. Cellular to this list which happens to be the 6th largest in the nation.

Good news is that if you already get their $30 smartphone data plan that costs $30/month you don’t have to pay a penny for the GPS navigation service from Telenav. Some of the devices that supports Telenav on U.S. Cellular include:

Samsung AcclaimHTC TouchHTC Touch ProHTC Touch Pro 2HTC SnapBlackBerry Tour 9630BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230BlackBerry Curve 8530Samsung i225.

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antique GPS system from 1930s

What you’re looking at here is probably one of the first in-car GPS navigation systems in the world; designed in 1930′s. Of course it is probably better to call this map guidance tool since this device had nothing to do with giving directions or geostationary satellites.

(Possibly) called Iter Avto, this tool scrolled through a paper map depending on the speed of your vehicle. And if you ever wanted to make a turn into a new street you’d have to find the scroll paper for that street and quickly swap it in.

Very similar to Plus Fours Routefinder first used in the U.K. about a decade ago.

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Garmin GPSMAP 62 series

The Garmin GPSMAP 62 series we mentioned couple of weeks ago was just made official by the company. Their website does not reveal shipping date just yet but all the specs are there including prices. You can even do side by side comparison of all the models in the 62 series which range from $350 to $550.

All models have a 2.6″ sunlight readable screen, up to 20 hours of battery life on 2 AA’s, IPX7 waterproof, have 1.7GB internal memory, and of course support geocaching.

Garmin GPSMAP 62: base modelGarmin GPSMAP 62s: add microSD card slot, electronic compass, barometric altimeter, wireless data sharing, high speed USB Garmin GPSMAP 62st:preloaded 100K topographic maps for the entire US

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GPS Can Be Used to Find the Police

GPS Vehicle Tracking Device

It is fairly common knowledge that the police can use the GPS system to find a criminal, whether he is driving a stolen vehicle with a vehicle tracking device or has kidnapped a child who is wearing a tracking device. Now, it turns out, the police can be found with GPS too. They are keeping tabs on each other, and it’s not just for safety

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Once Upon a Time We Lived without GPS Tracking

GPS Tracking Devices

This is a statement of the benefits of GPS Tracking.  One of the best ways to look at this is to realize that there didn’t use to be anything like this in our society.  Talk about vulnerability!  And, with the complexity of today’s lifestyles and difficulty with economic times in which we live, it is hard to think about life without tracking devices.

Tracking Anywhere Anytime. From the 24 satellites that are in orbit around the earth, we can track almost anything anywhere it goes at anytime.  That is, unless it goes into an area that is impervious to satellite signals.  But, even that is not completely hopeless, because the tracking history on an item can help at least provide a location of its last known address.  That gives a starting point for authorities to begin a search.  Think about how this could have helped Amelia Earhart in her effort to circumnavigate the earth in her airplane.  She could have been located and rescued.

Vehicle Tracking. We spend a lot of time in our cars.  And, some tragic events have occurred in them that could have been mitigated with GPS Tracking.  Would the outcome of Chappaquiddick been any different if a GPS Tracking device had been onboard?  Is it possible that Mary Jo Kopechne would be alive today?  Pure speculation, but the use of GPS technology has already produced results that have save people’s lives.

If only, if only, if only

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Shipping for the Future using GPS Tracking Devices

GPS Tracking Devices

Have you ever shipped a package that never reached its destination? Perhaps a birthday present for your grandson or a Christmas card for your mother? The frustration that ensues from knowing that important mail has been lost can be enough to turn a person off from ever sending a package in the mail again. However, the days when nothing could be done about this problem are over. Today, a GPS Tracking Device can be utilized to pinpoint the exact location of mail trucks en route.

Many delivery companies are now mandating the use of GPS Tracking Devices in delivery trucks. These tracking devices, monitored via satellite, allow the location of a truck to be discovered at any time. If a package has not arrived on its designated date, it is thus possible to discern its location by checking the status of the carrying truck. Find the truck, and the enclosed mail has been found. And to the person whose package is missing, the piece of mind they receive when the item is located can be invaluable.

This same GPS technology put in delivery trucks is now also in many taxis across the US. In August of 2009 professional violinist Hahn-Bin left his $600,000 violin in a New York taxi. The understandably distressed musician never suspected that his expensive instrument could be found using GPS tracking devices. However, after only a few hours authorities were able to utilize the GPS in the cab to track down the missing violin and return it to its owner. Hahn-Bin was relieved, to say the least!

If GPS tracking devices can be utilized to find a violin left in a taxi, it can certainly be used to locate a package on a mail truck. And while a birthday gift may not seem as valuable as a $600,000 instrument, to the little boy who doesn’t get his grandmother’s birthday gift in the mail, money is not the issue. The heartbreak of losing items with sentimental value can seem just as traumatic.

The shipping industry is about to be revolutionized due to the utilization of GPS tracking devices. Just imagine the possibilities. If such devices track international mail, for example, no package shipped anywhere in the world could ever be lost again. This invaluable technology will soon take the world by storm.

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GPS Tracking Makes Inroads into Every Day Life

Personal Tracking Devices

Some important trends to watch for in GPS Tracking devices are listed here.  These trends and movement towards more tracking can be viewed either positively or negatively, depending upon your outlook.

Personal Monitoring. We are witnessing more electronic devices that are intended for tracking as they infiltrate our society.  These include GPS enabled smart phones, small unobtrusive personal tracking devices that can be hidden easily, vehicular tracking devices, watches and more.  With the footprint of tracking devices getting smaller, their integration into more things will grow.  Small power consumption allows them to stay active for days between charges, too.

Tracking Things. With the global economy in a mess, people are getting desperate and are turning to thievery to get things they want and need.  GPS Tracking systems are being placed throughout the world to monitor things like shipment of products and large expensive assets that are motorized and/or mobile.  Many businesses with significant investment in assets understand how important this is becoming as a daily activity for them.  Desperate people often do not think through what they are doing, so a simple active tracking device is all that is needed to ensure that expensive items are able to be located within minutes of a theft.

Tracking and the Law. More court systems are turning to GPS Tracking to help mete out sentences to those who are convicted of crimes (often theft, etc).  Since prison populations are swelling and the cost of incarceration growing at mammoth proportions, GPS Tracking can offer less expensive home detention style sentences that allows a person to serve out a sentence while still remaining in society and being productive at a job.  Also, it helps reduce the chances that they will return to jail.

We live in a time that demands that those who own things keep a closer eye on them to help prevent or mitigate damage from theft.  GPS Tracking provides a way to do this in an inexpensive fashion.  For just a few hundred dollars (and really less than that), you can know where your important things are and if there is a problem with theft.  Security systems for houses have their place, but a GPS Tracking device attached to expensive items that are stolen will help recover them in hours, not days, weeks, months, or possibly never.

GPS Tracking gives you what you need to add a good measure of peace of mind to your life.

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