gps

GPS shoes can help track people with Alzheimer's (video)

GPS is becoming ubiquitous in our smartphones and cars. Now, Aetrex has put GPS in shoes--as a kind of safeguard for people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Wearers of the shoes can be tracked through a Web site, which is also accessible via a smartphone. These shoes don't come cheap: they cost about $300 and there is a $35 monthly fee for the tracking service. SmartPlanet's Sumi Das takes a closer look at these high-tech shoes that could help caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia find them if they wander off.

This video originally … Read more

Putting the Transformer Prime in perspective

The Asus Transformer Prime is currently the highest-quality Android tablet on the market. It rivals and sometimes surpasses the the iPad 2 in games performance, has a fantastically bright screen, memory expansion, various CPU performance modes, HDMI, and a thin, sleek, and sexy design.

All that said (and I bet you saw this coming), it's not perfect. Since its release, the Prime has been saddled with reports of performance issues, bugs, and stuff just outright not working.

How severe are these issues, and maybe more importantly, just how widespread are they? As a new or potentially new Prime owner, just what are the chances they'll crop up for you?… Read more

LightSquared's deal with Sprint further falters

If the Federal Communications Commission suspending LightSquared's initial approval waiver yesterday weren't enough, the fledgling wireless network was dealt another blow today. Its deal with Sprint Nextel may fizzle.

Sprint said it would have to return $65 million to LightSquared if the wireless venture failed to get FCC authorization by a mid-March deadline, according to The Wall Street Journal. Sprint set this deadline last month with the announcement that if LightSquared doesn't get FCC approval by mid-March then the carrier would terminate its agreement with the company.

Last July, in a 15-year arrangement to push 4G, LightSquared … Read more

LightSquared blew it, and here's why

LightSquared today fired back at the Federal Communications Commission, saying the agency's decision to squash the company's planned wireless network would harm the American public. But it appears to be too little, too late for the embattled company.

The start-up wireless provider was dealt a fatal blow yesterday when the FCC suspended a key waiver that would have allowed it to build its 4G network, citing concerns over potential interference with critical GPS equipment. The denial of the waiver effectively turned the company into the walking dead.

While the FCC may have officially stamped out LightSquared's hopes … Read more

FCC suspends LightSquared waiver over GPS interference

LightSquared suffered a possibly fatal blow today when the FCC said it would indefinitely suspend the company's effort to build a national wireless broadband network using satellite spectrum.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a Department of Commerce agency tasked with overseeing military and government spectrum use, determined that LightSquared's interference with other devices, including GPS devices, was unavoidable.

"Based on NTIA's independent evaluation of the testing and analysis performed over the last several months, we conclude that LightSquared's proposed mobile broadband network will impact GPS services and that there is no practical way to … Read more

LightSquared strums up political support

A growing number of Congressional leaders and state officials are urging the Federal Communications Commission to move forward with its review of LightSquared, the controversial startup that plans to build a national wireless broadband network using satellite spectrum.

Last week, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) sent a letter to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski in support of the company and its plans.

"I write to express concern about delays in the approval process involving LightSquared's proposed 4G-LTE wireless broadband network," Conyers wrote in a letter sent last week. "I strongly urge the Commission to move with urgency to … Read more

Want better car insurance rates? Let the AA track your driving

If you could save over $1,300 on your annual car insurance by letting your provider track your driving, would you?

That's the question U.K. drivers are mulling this morning, as the country's Automobile Association (AA) is set to launch a new insurance policy that would place a "black box" into a car, allowing the organization to make sure its insured drivers are behaving on the road.

According to the BBC, which first reported on the move, the technology will monitor speed, braking severity, and the roads drivers are on. The information collected from the … Read more

PS Vita gets video, maps, and blinking lights

A rather noteworthy firmware update arrived yesterday for the PlayStation Vita in Japan, just weeks before the device is set to debut in the U.S. on February 22.

Vita can now shoot MP4 video (1.5Mbps) at 640x480 resolution with supplementary audio-recording support up to 128Kbps AAC. This is not HD-quality by any means, but it will probably look above-average based on the strength of Sony's mobile-camera sensors. There's a note of an improvement to "Featured Photo," which now supports video content.

We also spotted an optional Content Manager Assistant app for Vita (available now in English for PC and Mac) that lets you run a system update and transfer and/or back up data between the Vita and a computer. … Read more

Beat the traffic with these GPS devices (roundup)

Getting from points alpha to bravo is cool. Getting there without going through a mind-numbing traffic jam is just the cat's pajamas!

These days, any old portable navigation device can accomplish the former, but the best differentiate themselves with their almost omniscient awareness of the roads between where you are and where you're going. A good traffic monitoring system can not only save you time, but can also help save you money at the pump and reduce your environmental impact by reducing the amount of fuel wasted idling.

With that in mind, I've rounded up a selection of the portable navigation devices with the best implementation of traffic data and avoidance technology, and even a few quirkier implementations of the tech below for your perusal. … Read more

Add 'Simpsons' voices to your TomTom GPS

If you own a TomTom GPS and you're a "Simpsons" fan, you're in for a treat.

For the past couples years, you had the option of putting the voice of Homer Simpson into your nav system. Now, TomTom has landed two more "Simpsons" cast members: Julie Kavner and Harry Shearer, who lend their considerable vocal talents to Marge Simpson and Mr. Burns, respectively.

Excellent.

These "Voice Skins," which sell for $12.95 apiece, take the place of the stock voices contained in your TomTom. (Actually, you can switch back and forth between … Read more