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September 7, 2006
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GPS everywhere Buckaroo Banzai said it best: wherever you go, there you are. And how better to tell where precisely you are than with GPS? The Global Positioning System offers down-to-the-meter accuracy and there is no shortage of navigation devices that use it. In the past year — since my last column on the technology — prices have come down dramatically and it’s not uncommon to find a GPS with the capability to play music and video files. If the simple GPS navigation device is no longer the only way to go, you might want to consider what’s out there. It depends, as always, on what you plan to do with the thing. Watches More recent watches, from actual watchmakers like Timex and Casio, integrate the GPS receiver into a much smaller case, making it look like a normal watch. They still need rechargeable batteries, since a GPS takes a lot more power than a simple watch; a normal button battery would need to be replaced every time you used the GPS functionality. Most can be charged via USB, which is convenient, because you can also use bundled software to download data from the watch and track your exercise. Telephones Different carriers offer their own services, usually with a monthly fee, so check with your provider. You’ll also need a fairly new phone and a prying curiosity; Verizon’s recently released Chocolate, for example, doesn’t trumpet its GPS capability like it does its music playing features. That’s probably a hint that the navigation functionality isn’t all that spectacular, but I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt because the demo on Verizon’s Web site is pretty darn shiny. You do have to download a small application, and pay an additional monthly fee, but once you do, the phone can guide you with spoken directions and an exact “You Are Here” map. Verizon and Nextel offer navigation services; most others lag behind. Why haven’t GPS phones taken off before? I place my bet on tiny, tiny screens. Game consoles Comments? Thoughts? Discuss these articles and more at hippoflea.com |
08/31/2006 The printer dilemma
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