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Posts Tagged “

GPS

speed limit

British Vauxhall Cars Have New Camera That Scans Signs, Displays Current Speed Limit

Although various GPS units already have the ability to display the current speed limit (they're pre-programmed in) of the road you're on, this Vauxhall Motors invention seems even better. There's a camera on-board that takes 30 snaps per second, then recognizing speed limit signs and translating that to a number to display on your dash. More »

drone

Research UAV is Preview of Hovering Spy Drones of Tomorrow

Meet STARMAC, the Stanford Testbed of Autonomous Rotorcraft for Multi-Agent Control. Possibly the cleverest remote control mini-helicopter you've ever seen, packed with GPS, sensors and computer power. It's a research quad-rotor that the Stanford team is using to develop algorithms for future aircraft like it. More »

google maps

BlackBerry Pearl Gets Google Maps with Voice Search

Google has just released a new version of their maps application that supports voice recognition search on the BlackBerry Pearl. That means Pearl users can load Google Maps, hold a side button, say "pizza, i said PIZZA...PEE ZZ UH" and have the application magically find tacos in your immediate vicinity. This upgrade doesn't look to be automatic, so hit the link to have Google text message your phone for the "experimental" update. [Google Maps via Gear Diary]

CALIFORNIA CELLPHONE LAW

Hands-Free Law, Smands-Free Law: Distracting, Dangerous and Ridiculous Things You Can Still Do While Driving

The big day has now passed for California drivers and cellphones are effectively banned on the road. At least not without a hands-free device...which Californians will inevitably forget to charge or lose. Other states have this law, but California is the driving-while-talking state. California is regularly ranked the worst for traffic congestion, and its 60 million residents spend more time in traffic not driving than just about anybody else. It's a big deal, but also, this law is a joke: The fine is only $20. The dumbest thing, however, is that there is a laundry list of far more distracting gadget and non-gadget tasks that are still perfectly legal behind the wheel of a car: More »

What privacy?

Tiwi Blackbox for the Car Tattles When Your Kids Speed

I love driving fast, but when I have kids, I'm going to put them in the slowest, safest car imaginable, wrap pillows and old tires around the outside and install this Tiwi blackbox to let me know when they're speeding. It has GPS and some cellular connectivity. When a driver goes too fast, it issues a verbal warning: "You're exceeding the speed limit; please slow down." Then it emails, text messages, or calls the proper authorities (mom or dad) if the speeding continues. Only $549 and $35 a month to totally mortify and alienate your kids for life. [Tiwi]

gps

GLaDOS GPS Voice Might Make You Think the Directions are a Lie

Sure, a Knight Rider GPS system is cool if you're in your 40s and remember watching the show when it was first on, but what about people looking for a GPS navigator with a more contemporary cultural reference? How about GLaDOS from Portal, one of the best games of the last few years? More »

gps

Dash GPS's Major June 2008 Update Lets You Plot Custom Routes

Dash navigator's latest update rolls out today, allowing for a few key improvements.
• My Route records your local paths between two points (or locations within 1/2 mile of those points) and recommends the route along side traditional GPS routes next time you make the trip.
• Searches for points of interest "along the way" return listings with distance from current location and distance from destination.
• Road closures will be highlighted in black.
• Using SiRF's instantfix tech, the GPS will lock on sats on resume within 3 seconds
• The GUI is about 50% snappier
• Street names are easier to read because of better contrast.
Video of My Route over at [Dash's Blog]


garmin

Garmin Announces a New, Improved Astro GPS Dog Collar

Garmin has just announced a successor to their original Astro GPS dog collar. With a new more rugged and flexible design, the Astro DC 30 can track your best friend for up to 30 hours at a time, depending on the variable update rate. And while it still needs to sync with the Astro pocketable base station unit, that crazy mutt can run up to seven miles away and still show up on the map. That's enough to crap in the whole neighborhood's lawn without ever missing a beat (while your dog is safe in your yard). $199. [Garmin]

reviews

Lightning Review: Nokia E66 Slider Smartphone

The Gadget: The Nokia E66, a slim but luxurious GSM slider smartphone running Symbian S60, with Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G and a 3.2MP camera, to name a few of its many features. More »

criminal mastermind

Unlucky Thief Busted For The Third Time in Four Months For Stealing Police Sat Navs

In appears that 21 year old James Milsom is in the running for both the dumbest and unluckiest criminial in the UK after being busted for the third time in four months for stealing sat navs from undercover police cars. As you can see, the CCTV system in the vehicle did a pretty good job of capturing the subject—so he is off to another 14 weeks in the slammer. When he gets out, maybe he could team up with the criminals in the video after the break and form a kind of anti-Justice league for morons. More »

gps

Mio's Knight Rider GPS Test Drive Video

I got a sneak peek at Mio's new Knight Rider GPS, and it's more fun and cheesy than I expected. As you can see in the video, William Daniels, the original voice of KITT, guides you as you cruise the streets, fighting crime. Flashing red LEDs are synced up to the speech, and the screen marks your location with a Pontiac Trans Am icon. My favorite part is that is has 300 names built-in when you're done pretending that you're Michael Knight and you want KITT to call you by your real moniker. It'll be $270—a bit less than we thought—when it's out in August. [Knight Rider GPS]

global imaging

GeoEye-1 Commercial Satellite Packs Military Power

Next month, a commercial satellite named the GeoEye-1 will go into the Earth's orbit. Its highest resolution photos—shots that will spot a 16-inch beachball—will be reserved for military use. However, slightly lower resolution imagery will be made available in the commercial sector, like Google Earth. More »

gps

Knight Rider GPS With KITT's Voice!

I already have a GPS unit but I'll be dammed if I'm not throwing it out because the guys at Mio have come up with a Knight Rider branded GPS unit with voice prompts by the one and only Mr Feeny KITT William Daniels. Apparently, you will recognize his familiar voice as soon as you fire it up and hear "Hello Michael, where do you want to go today?" As an added touch, the display is flanked by a series of red LEDs that mimic KITTs hood-mounted lights. Further details are scarce, but we do know the Mio Knight Rider GPS will retail for $299 when it is finally released. [Next Autos Thanks Dan!]

deals

Dealzmodo: Dash Express Now $299 Permanently

Dash loved the sales of their Dash Express connected GPS unit so much when it was discounted to $299 at Amazon, they decided to make this permanent. Get yours now and never be lost in a dangerous neighborhood again (you know what we're talking about). [Dash]

cellphones

Garmin Nuvifone To Be Made By Asus, Won't Be Renamed Nuvifoneee

Garmin's super-hyped GPS-focused nuvifone will be made by Asustek, according to "sources in the industry." The move to outsource is a first for Garmin, which usually keeps all manufacturing in-house. Expect to see it in Q4 of this year. [Digitimes via Unwired View]

pranks

Sat-Nag GPS Takes You on a Long Annoying Trip to Nowhere

Every once in a while, a product comes along that is so utterly baffling that you begin to question whether or not society has stopped evolving. The Sat-Nag GPS unit is one of those products. I say "GPS," but in reality, the Sat-Nag is completely non-functional as a navigation system. What it does manage to do is annoy everyone in the vehicle with phrases like: "I know you’re a man, but it’s been 35 minutes now, so can you please admit you’re lost and ask someone the way?"; and "In 100 metres turn left. No right, err, no left. Sorry, I never can tell my left from my right." More »

garmin

Garmin nuvifone UI Video

Mark Spoonauer's Laptop Mag is running an extensive UI video from their exclusive hands on of the Garmin nuvifone. [Laptop mag]

dash express gps

Dash Express GPS Twitter App Tells Whole World Exactly Where You Are, With Google Map Goodness

The Dash Express GPS's API opened up about six weeks ago, and so far Dash says there've been dozens of apps developed since then, most of them in the truly useful category, like weather or speed traps. And then there's a Twitter client. Yes, the Dash will now tweet your exact location to everyone following you, along with a link to the address on Google maps. Okay, that's actually pretty sweet. Twitter: No longer just for telling the world when you're taking a dump. [Dash, Thanks Dave!]