gps

GPS trackers aren't just for school uniforms anymore.

U.K. clothing manufacturer Bladerunner is out with a trackable children's jacket featuring a device that notifies you of your tyke's whereabouts by e-mail or text message.

The rechargeable GPS gadget fits into a pouch inside the jacket, has about a 15-hour battery life, and can track wearers within 43 square feet, reports The Guardian.

The tracker can be structured in various ways. You can, for example, configure a geo-fence and only get alerts if your kid steps outside a certain boundary, like school or the park. You can … Read more

If it's possible for skiers and boarders to actually agree on anything other than their shared love of snow, it might be something like this. The "Satski" is a GPS device developed specifically for the slopes to provide such invaluable information as the best runs, levels of difficulty and--most important--which lifts have the shortest lines.

Like Garmin's "Edge" line for bikes, the Satski can also store uploaded information that can be shared with others, as well as record such real-time performance stats as speed, distance and altitude. And for the apre-ski lodge, Gadgetizer says … Read more

Japan and gadgets go hand in hand, so it's no wonder that car technology figures prominently in automaker displays at the 2007 Tokyo auto show. Both Honda and Volkswagen put up exhibits showing their latest-generation navigation systems, which are generally available as in-dash options in their cars. Both companies embrace the new trend of hard drive-based navigation. These types of systems offer faster data access than DVD-based systems, and there is usually a bit of space left over for music storage. Honda uses a 40GB drive, the largest we've heard of as a factory install, while the Volkswagen … Read more

Given our position on physical activity, our appreciation for such gadgets as bicycle GPS devices is predictably limited (as in nonexistent). From what we understand, however, some hard-core cyclists have been anxiously awaiting the release of Garmin's latest "Edge" models, the 605 and 705, top-of-the-line devices that include new mapping features, training systems and the ability to share information wirelessly with other bikers on their 2.2-inch color LCDs.

But they'll have to wait. GPSLodge says Garmin has encountered some bumps in the road (sorry) and is postponing its release from the scheduled December launch date … Read more

Dash Navigation is building the GPS gizmo that everyone in the CNET reviews department is waiting for. See this video from 2006. Today at the Web 2.0 Summit, the company is announcing more features for its delayed product.

Dash now plans to ship its GPS product for cars, the Dash Express, in early 2008. Its key differentiator from other GPS units is that it will always be connected to the Internet, which will enable cool features like peer-to-peer (with other Dash devices) traffic reporting, and the capability to program routes on to your device from your Web browser.

The … Read more

Today, AT&T announced the immediate availability of the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310, which adds the mighty powers of integrated GPS to the original BlackBerry Curve. Priced at $199.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates, the 8310 is available in red or titanium and allows you to turn your smartphone into a personal navigation device with a location-based service like TeleNav GPS Navigator. This will allow you to get voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, 3D maps, local business search, and more, right on your handset; just be aware that TeleNav is an add-on service that costs $9.99 per … Read more

The San Francisco Chronicle takes up the question of whether paper maps are obsolete. The article points out how paper maps no longer occupy display space right next to the cash register in service stations, and statistics about declining demand for paper maps from AAA. Mapping professionals quoted for the story insist that paper maps will always have a use. But, tellingly, all of the map users interviewed for the story say that they use digital maps online or GPS devices to get around.

The article quotes driver Damon Wood: "Maps are kind of old-fashioned," he said. "… Read more

The mouse seems to be undergoing something of a midlife crisis, no longer satisfied with its traditional role on the desktop. While struggling to find its way, it's been experimenting with everything from phones and numeric pads to massages.

But Deluo's "GPSMouse" has at least integrated its expanded function without completely losing its original identity. In addition to working as a standard optical travel mouse, according to Slippery Brick, it converts into a GPS receiver with a switch underneath, using the same USB line for its connection to the computer. It's not the first GPS … Read more

With the launch of the IVA-W205, Alpine becomes the second aftermarket manufacturer to combine mobile- and in-dash navigation. Unlike the Eclipse AVN2210p, which uses a similar combination of in-dash dock connected to a portable TomTom GPS device, the IVA-W205 can be purchased--and used--independently of its portable Blackbird PMD-B200 component. With the Blackbird installed behind the faceplate, the IVA-W205 becomes a useful in-dash system; without the Blackbird portable, the IVA-W205 is a simple--but versatile--multimedia player in the vein of the Alpine IVA-200. Read the full review here.