The system's base station directly connects one's home to a monitoring station.
(Credit: Medical Mobile Monitoring)It's said we exit this life the same way we enter--drooling and in need of diapers. It is, then, cruelly fitting that Medical Mobile Monitoring has recently developed a medical-alert tracking system that resembles a baby monitor.
The company's MobileHelp medical-alert system, launched in November, tracks users no matter how far they wander, as long as they are within range of an AT&T cellular network. It costs about $35 a month. The system also uses GPS satellite tracking, so you can literally watch the person you are monitoring online in real time:
When subscribers need help, they simply press their help button and are connected via two-way voice to a central monitoring station that is live 24/7/365. The technology from Medical Mobile Monitoring also allows family members to see an online map and location of their loved ones over the Internet and be notified via mobile phone and email when an emergency arises.
Aside from such a service being both inherently creepy and inherently useful, it is also a sign of the times. In October, we covered the release of a similar tracking system, called EmSeeQ, whose faceless black watch has the unfortunate effect of looking like something Batman or a secret agent would wear, thereby calling unnecessary attention to itself.
MobileHelp's waterproof pendant may be better, but still doesn't hit the mark. ... Read more
Garmin's Oregon 450t wilderness GPS device
(Credit: Garmin)Garmin announced two new midrange touch-screen GPS devices Tuesday, the $399 Oregon 450 and $499 Oregon 450t for hikers or others who want a navigation system in the wilderness.
Both the models offer a 3-inch color display that can be operated even with gloved hands, the company said. Among improvements over earlier models are user-selectable "dashboard" interfaces, high-speed USB, photo navigation, a three-axis electronic compass that compensates when the device is tilted, and better track navigation that shows upcoming changes in elevation. Like earlier models, the 450 and 450t have a barometric altimeter and can exchange tracks, waypoints, routes, and geocaches with various newer Garmin GPS systems.
The 450t also has built-in 100,000:1 scale topographic maps for the United States and 3D perspective to better gauge terrain elevation. That map includes major trails, roads, coastlines, rivers, lakes, parks, and wilderness areas, Garmin said.
Both are due to ship in the first quarter of 2010, the company said.
The units also come with utility software for Mac or Windows computers to bring details of paper or electronic maps to the device.
This TomTom Car Kit for iPhone uses the EasyPort suction cup windshield mount.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)Any automotive GPS device worth its salt will come packaged with some sort of suction cup mount that will allow users to stick their unit to their vehicle's windshield. For most users, this is where road ends where GPS device mounting is concerned. But is this the best way to keep your navigation device in place while you drive? And what about that weird plastic disk that was also in the box? Let's take a look at the pros and cons of the different GPS mounting options.
Pay attention, because what you learn here can also be applied to mounting your GPS-enabled smartphone.
... Read more
(Credit:
Magellan)
Following the launch of its turn-by-turn navigation app for iPhone, Magellan has released its Premium Car Kit for iPhone and iPod Touch. The Premium Car Kit features an amplified speaker for spoken directions, a Bluetooth speakerphone for hands-free calling, a built-in GPS receiver that should improve positioning compared with the iPhone 3G's built-in GPS as well as adds GPS positioning to first-generation iPhones and the iPod Touches.
The mount lets you rotate the iPhone to portrait and landscape views, and has a built-in charger. Essentially, it will behave exactly like TomTom's Car Kit; however, the Magellan kit has an adjusting arm that will let it accommodate an iPhone or iPod Touch with a protective case.
The Magellan Premium Car Kit will cost $129.99. When TomTom's kit debuted for slightly less than that price, it was universally regarded as too expensive, so we can already guess what sort of reception Magellan's kit will get.
Magellan's Premium Car Kit for iPhone is available now for preorder.
(Credit:
Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
You've received a new GPS navigator over the holidays...now what? Just jump in the car and start navigating, right? Maybe, but maybe not.
While most modern portable navigation devices are simple plug and go affairs, there are a few things you can do to make your navigation experience both easier and more efficient. Check out our guide to get the skinny on getting started with your new (or old) GPS device.
That's not the kind of fun I meant, but you get the idea...
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)So, you're all set up with your new GPS device, effortlessly navigating, dodging traffic jams, and the like. However, when you're not charging from point A to B on the fastest available route, your shiny new sat-nav is just sitting in the bottom of your glove compartment, backpack, or purse.
Wouldn't it be great if there were some way that your could use your GPS device to have fun? Well, it just so happens that you can! We've gathered nine of our favorite fun things to do with a GPS device for your perusal. Check them out here and then let us know how you use your GPS device for fun in the comments.
Picasa makes it easy to geotag photos.
(Credit: Joshua Goldman/CNET)Google's Picasa is an excellent photo organizer. One of my favorite features, though, is its capability to quickly geotag images--adding longitude and latitude to the photo's EXIF metadata--with little effort. Basically, it requires little more than selecting a photo or photos, clicking a couple of buttons in the interface, and the software handles the rest. Plus, you can use either Google Maps for tagging or place them on the Google Earth globe.
The biggest catch is, unless you noted it at the time, you have to remember approximately where you were when you took your photos. Once you've tagged all your old photos, it's easy enough with future photos to snap a shot of the nearest intersection or a nearby business to use as a reference later. Of course, this only really works if you're in an area with those things.
There are devices and software you can use to geotag your photos when you offload them to your computer. (I'm in the middle of testing a pretty good one right now.) Using Picasa is a little more time consuming, but it's free, easy, and kind of fun once you get rolling with it.
(Credit:
CNET)
The end of the year is a good time to take a look back over the last 12 months to get a snapshot of the state of portable GPS navigation. So we're taking a look at our reviews pages and pulling together the 10 most viewed GPS devices for 2009.
Cumulative lists such as this tend to favor older models--mostly because they have more time to build steam than the newer models--but we were glad to see a nice, healthy mix of old and new devices. While we were expecting to see a good number of Garmin Nuvi units on our list, exactly which Nuvi models made this list is a bit surprising. Of course, TomTom, Navigon, and Magellan also make appearances.
Check out the 10 most viewed GPS devices of 2009 to see what models you and your fellow readers found the most interesting.
(Credit:
Who-Rae)
GPS sales have risen more than 700 percent in recent years, according to Who-Rae, an Australian company that develops and manufactures a range of consumer products. With increased popularity and usage comes crime, however--GPS are now the most commonly stolen item from vehicles, the company says.
Who-Rae is reacting with Maplock, a security device that latches onto a GPS unit and cables it to the steering wheel.
The Melbourne-based company suggests that suction cup marks or empty mounts left on the windshield are signs that criminals look for, so even if a GPS is removed from the car, thieves will cause expensive damage looking for it.
No Fear and Performance Motorsports are just a couple brands by Who-Rae, whose products primarily include automotive and travel accessories. Although the company doesn't vend its products online, they are available at international retailers. Maplock retailers and pricing aren't out yet. Until then, a video demonstration is available on the Maplock site.
Why spend upward of $100 on a navigation app when CoPilot's on sale for $20?
At $34.99, ALK's CoPilot Live North America is already one of the least-expensive navigation apps in the iTunes App Store. At $19.99, it's an outright steal.
That's the deal ALK is offering this holiday weekend, and you can grab it starting right now.
CoPilot Live offers complete turn-by-turn navigation for the U.S. and Canada. Its features include text-to-speech (meaning it announces street names), address book integration, tap-to-call POI listings, and easy switching between different modes of travel (car, bicycle, walking, and so on).
You'll definitely want to read Dong Ngo's CoPilot Live road test that covers the highlights and letdowns--but keep in mind the app's been updated since then. For example, Ngo dings it for lacking text-to-speech, but it now has that feature.
Still missing, alas, is real-time traffic information, which apparently remains on the coming-soon list. Thankfully, future updates to the app will be free, though any premium services like traffic will cost you.
Even without that option, it's hard to pass up a full-featured navigation app for just $20, especially with competitors like Navigon, iGo My Way, and TomTom still selling in the $70-100 range.
The only missing ingredient is a dashboard or windshield mount for your iPhone. I recommend heading to a Web site like Eforcity or Meritline and picking up an inexpensive gooseneck mount.
