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The Gizmo Report: the SPOT Satellite Messenger

I've written here before about emergency locators, those gizmos that can help rescuers find you if you become lost in the wilderness.

The tragic death of CNET's own James Kim and the disappearances of Microsoft's Jim Gray and famed adventurer Steve Fossett have convinced me that anyone who travels outside populated areas ought to carry one of these devices.

Following that earlier post, I was contacted by SPOT Inc., makers of the SPOT Satellite Messenger, which began shipping through major outdoor retailers this fall. They offered me a SPOT messenger for review, and I happily accepted. It … Read more

Thoughts on emergency locator transmitters

As the search for aviator Steve Fossett continues, I've been thinking about the ways we try to track down missing people.

One of the leading independent experts on ELTs (emergency locator transmitters) is Doug Ritter, editor of the Equipped to Survive Web site. Ritter has written extensively about ELTs, which are installed on aircraft; EPIRBs, or emergency position-indicating radio beacons, which are carried on boats; and PLBs, or personal locator beacons, which are carried by individuals. If you have any interest in the subject, you should check out his Web site.

Ritter's most recent blog post, dated Thursday, concerns a recent memo from the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board to the administrator of the… Read more