ie8 fix

gps

Book chronicles cat's secret life

Four years ago, while San Francisco-based writer Caroline Paul was recuperating from an accident, one of her beloved cats, Tibby (short for Tibia), went missing. Paul presumed Tibby had gone to kitty heaven. But five weeks later, Tibby reappeared no worse for the wear.

Paul, who during the interview reminds me that she was heavily medicated at the time, was over the moon that her cat had returned. That is, she was happy until the questions arose.

"It was a celebration until the bliss wore off," Paul said. "And then I was, like, where were you? Why … Read more

Scout navigation app goes from 'on-dash' to 'in-dash'

Telenav's Scout navigation app is making the jump from living on your dashboard (or windshield) to living in your dashboard with today's announcement of Scout for Cars, an embedded in-dash navigation product that is being offered to automotive OEMs.

However, Scout for Cars is actually two products under one name -- Scout for Cars: Brought In and Scout for Cars: Built In.

We got a look at the product now known as Scout for Cars: Brought In as far back as CES 2012 (video). This low or no-price option for OEMs uses the driver's smartphone running the … Read more

Lawmakers introduce bill on warrantless GPS tracking

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a new bill, known as the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance Act, to force law enforcement to obtain a warrant to track suspects with GPS devices.

The bill, which was introduced to Congress yesterday, is sponsored by Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), as well as Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House judiciary committee ranking member Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). If passed, it would provide a "legal framework" that provides clear guidelines on when and how GPS devices can be accessed and used.

"New technologies are making it increasingly … Read more

U.S. government to fight for warrantless GPS tracking

The Obama Administration is headed to court today to argue that warrantless GPS tracking is just fine.

The administration will present its arguments before a federal appeals court today, despite the U.S. Supreme Court last year ruling that a warrant was needed to attach a GPS device to a suspected criminal's vehicle. According to Wired, which first reported on the story, the government believes that the high court's ruling does not account for all scenarios, and wants to see where its ruling should and shouldn't be held up.

The Supreme Court's ruling last year was … Read more

Can dataless smartphones still use GPS navigation apps?

Cost-conscious wireless consumers have figured out that you don't need to pay a hefty monthly data fee to a wireless carrier to still enjoy many of the apps and functionality found on smartphones.

Of course, there are limitations to going without a carrier data plan. For example, you can only access the Internet when you are in a Wi-Fi hotspot, which means you won't get coverage everywhere. And you will likely have to pay full price for an unlocked device. (You could always buy a cheaper one used or use someone friend's or family member's old … Read more

CNET on Cars 12: BMW 750Li vs. Lexus LS 460

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An embarrassment of riches this time as the 2013 BMW 750Li and Lexus LS 460 hit our garage on the same day. Some assignments are just more comfortable than others! But while both cars are luxurious, one felt much readier to cut it up on the road to my hands, and you might be surprised which.

A great Car Tech 101 in this episode, explaining the rather tricky relationship between horsepower and torque. We're conditioned to think about horsepower, but … Read more

Researchers develop a more accurate car navigation system

Driverless cars could get a big boost from a new system that researchers say will increase the accuracy of in-car satellite navigation systems by 90 percent.

Researchers say the system combines conventional GPS signals with data from sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes to determine a vehicle's position within six feet of its location, a dramatic reduction from the current margin of error of 50 feet. The system can be installed inexpensively in any vehicle, say researchers at Spain's Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, where the system was developed.

"We have managed to improve the determination of … Read more

Man allegedly follows GPS directions to wrong house; shot dead

According to friends of Rodrigo Diaz, they were all going ice skating. Diaz was driving the car, and they were going to pick up one more skater.

They pulled into a driveway, which their GPS -- at least, according to one of the friends -- told them was their destination.

Then, as WSB-TV Atlanta explains, this tale took a troubling turn.

According to Yeson Jimenez, 15, one of the passengers, Diaz pulled into a driveway; then 69-year-old Phillip Sailors peered out of a window of the house.

He allegedly came out, went back inside, then emerged again, firing a gun … Read more

GPS sends Belgian woman to Croatia, 810 miles out of her way

We need to get something out of the way.

Croatia is not Belgium. Neither is it in Belgium. Nor was it ever, in some strange historical time before America existed, Belgian in any way.

This does not seem to have prevented a Belgian lady from trusting her GPS enough to end up in Zagreb, Croatia's capital, when she was actually trying to go 90 miles from her home in Hainault Erquelinnes to Brussels.

Both, remarkably, are in Belgium.

I am grateful to Gizmodo for sending me several thousand miles to Spain's El Mundo, for there is a report … Read more

Car owners frustrated with onboard GPS

Irritated by your car's built-in GPS? You're not alone.

More car owners are less happy with their factory-installed navigation systems than in the past, says a report out today from J.P. Power and Associates.

A survey of drivers conducted late last year found satisfaction with their navigation systems down 13 points from the prior year. The level of satisfaction was down in all of the six factors measured, but ease of use was the biggest complaint, dropping in score by 25 points.

The other five factors included in the study were routing, navigation display screen, the speed … Read more