geeksugar -- Geek is chic.

Tourin' Around San Francisco With Sony's Latest GPS Device

geeksugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:00:17 -0700

How in the world did we survive before GPS, seriously? Whenever I do get behind the wheel of a car, I am always dependent on TeleNav's GPS Navigator, which conveniently works with my BlackBerry so I don't have to lug around a huge device. But when I'm in a new city, it's always good to have something with a wider screen so I can follow my route a bit easier. Today, Sony debuts a 4.8-inch GPS navigation system called the NV-U94T ($400) and I was lucky enough to take it for a test drive this past week with a Sony expert — who showed me all of its bells and whistles.

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With a wide anti-glare touchscreen display, integrated Bluetooth wireless hands-free calling, and one of my favorite features - the dual view capability, which shows you detailed route information and a zoomed-out map on one screen - the NV-U94T is at the top of its game in terms of features.

To find out the other reasons why this GPS device got my attention and to check out pics of it in action, just

Do You Worry About Being Tracked Via Your Gadgets?

geeksugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:00:23 -0700

Current releases Traitor and Pineapple Express both feature main characters convinced that they are being tracked and monitored by the police or some government agency. In some cases it's true and in others it's just drug-induced paranoia, but the fear certainly isn't limited to fiction.I have a friend that is certain that Fastrak, a company that created an electronic toll collection system for Bay Area bridges, is in cahoots with the police and monitors drivers' activity and whereabouts. It's a notion that seems laughable to me, but cell phone carriers are required to provide the ability to trace cell phone calls to a location within 100 meters or less. For the most part e-tracking is reserved for emergency situations, but the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice can locate a cellular customer and track their whereabouts. Is this something you consider or worry about? Source

Do You Worry About Being Tracked Via Your Gadgets?

Yes. I don't like the idea that I can be tracked via my cell phone or GPS.

No. I don't worry about it. I can't see why the government would want to track me.

Something else. See my comment below.

Test Drivin' TeleNav's GPS Navigator

geeksugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:20:56 -0700

Because I don't have a car (public transportation all the way!), I haven't jumped on the GPS train as quick as everyone else. But when I do get behind the wheel, there's nothing more satisfying than knowing there's a slim to nil chance I'm going to get lost. I've used GPS devices before, and I love them! If you've just picked up a new phone that doesn't have GPS or you don't plan on getting an iPhone 3G, here's a great option — the TeleNav GPS Navigator. After a quick install of the TeleNav software, enabling Bluetooth on my BlackBerry Curve, and making sure the pocket-sized Navigator receiver was juiced-up, I was ready to put it to the test.

If you've used a GPS device before, you'll find TeleNav's Navigator a breeze to use. Input an address for driving directions, or use it to get traffic and gas price info, or to find shops, WiFi hotspots, restaurants and hotels. The Navigator provides directions by both voice and with colored maps on your phone's screen.

To see what I liked about it and to find out pricing info, just

The Original GPS!

geeksugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:35:54 -0700

The best of us geeks can be a little wary about GPS. Though common sense dictates that you shouldn't drive your car directly into a solid object, no matter how nice the voice telling you to do it is, some people are so trusting of tech that stuff happens.

You know what never directed anyone into a bridge? The original Global Positioning System: the handwritten note. The GPS notepad is a gag for anyone who remembers simpler times of drawing a map for your friends and hoping they can follow your instructions. It's also a lot cheaper!

GTA IV's Cop Tracking GPS Comes to Life

geeksugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:00:04 -0700

If you've been spending excessive amounts of time playing GTA IV this week, (and who hasn't — it has racked up $500 million and sold six million copies already), then you have come to know and love the GPS system that not only tells you where you are going, but tells you where the cops are once you've committed a crime! I, myself, have been known to shout out loud at my BF to "go the other way!" because of the 5-0 is on his tail.

So what if we could take the best part about Nico's GPS system and use it for ourselves before we get caught breaking the law? That's exactly what Speed Trap is for. To hear more about Speed Trap,

The Hilarious GPS Scene From The Office

geeksugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:45:00 -0700

I couldn't resist posting this funny video after all the comments on the "When GPS Leads You Astray" story — thanks for the heads up Looseseal! Thankfully Michael and Dwight don't drive into a bridge like the unfortunate bus driver, but they do . . . well . . . take a wrong turn thanks to their GPS device. How priceless is "The machine knows, stop yelling at me!" line? Love it!

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When GPS Leads You Astray. . .

geeksugar — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 07:00:31 -0700

Is it just me, or are the amounts of GPS horror stories increasing? Who can forget the man who drove his truck into a cherry tree, or the woman whose GPS led her directly into a river?! Crazy but all true!
Well here's another one for you (it looks serious, but thankfully there weren't any major injuries). According to the Seattle PI, a driver of a bus carrying a girls softball team hit this 9-foot bridge when a GPS navigation system routed him the wrong way. And yes, the driver just so happened to miss the ginormous yellow clearance sign on the side of the bridge (the bus measured 11-foot, 8-inches high).

GPS units have certainly got me lost a few times, but - knock on wood - I haven't had any accidents because of them! Have you?

Source

Garmin Nüvifone Ad Reinforces That Dudes Don't Know What Women Want

geeksugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:02:29 -0800

Garmin's nüvifone looks like an awesome smartphone, especially if you've been waiting for a device with amazing GPS — the nüvifone bills itself as a GPS-device first and a cell phone second. In this new ad from Garmin, we get to see how great the GPS potentially works, as three different characters — John, Suzie, and Joey — illustrate the uses of the nüvifone.

John and Joey get to use the phone for news, GPS, music, and blogging, but what does Suzie use it for, you ask? To check her schedule or rock out? Nope, Suzie loves shopping! Suzie also loves spotting a new bistro to have lunch at. She also uses her nüvifone for — oh, wait. Wait. Nope. That's all Suzie uses her nüvifone for. Hey, at least with the ShePhone, we had options. The nüvifone is projected to come out in the third quarter of this year — let's just hope that by then, they know a little more about women.

Watch the ad and tell me what you think!

CES 2008: Nokia Goes Green With Car Tech

geeksugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:35:20 -0800

Nokia certainly went green at CES this year by introducing the attractive 3110 Evolve, a handset made from 50 percent renewable biomaterials. About the size of a candy bar, the Evolve uses 95 percent less power than required by Energy Star standards. Nokia also came out in full force with a green and white hybrid car filled with green gadgets. The rear passenger seats came equipped with N810 Internet Tablets, while the front was decked out in a green GPS navigational system and fun bluetooth technology. Stay tuned for more product info.

Has Your GPS Ever Led You Astray?

geeksugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:00:14 -0800

I have a handful of friends who swear their lives depend on their G.P.S. Where is the concert venue? Where is that new Indian restaurant? Just ask the G.P.S they say . . . and they put the car in drive. The problem is, the G.P.S. isn't always right. It can send you on routes through sketchy areas, down one-way streets, and occasionally to the wrong street. Yesterday's New York Times featured a story "Turn Back. Exit Village. Truck Shortcut Hitting Barrier," that noted many people in small towns in Britain get led astray by "navigation devices that fail to appreciate that the shortest route is not always the best route."Have you ever had this problem in small towns or areas with new construction? Or is your G.P.S. on track all the time? Source

Has Your GPS Ever Led You Astray?

Yes — it led me straight into a blocked road, river, dead end etc.

No — it's always on track.

Something else. See comment below

GPS Notifies Your Friends/Boss When You're Late

geeksugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:00:27 -0700

If your commute, or inability to get out of bed when the alarm goes off makes you chronically late and leaves you in a daily text-messaging frenzy, you might want to consider the Oops I'm Late! Professional for Smartphones. For $99.99 you can get the calendar integrated late notification that sends out notices based on your current GPS location. It's the geekiest alert system I can imagine, but will save you plenty of time and hassle.

The best part is you can set a single contact to your assistant, office manager or significant other, which can easily call on any phone number or mobile it's been assigned to contact. You won't have to look up contact information, event or location information.
Source

Geek of the Week: Christian Nold

geeksugar — Mon, 07 May 2007 15:04:34 -0700

Christian Nold, a London-based artist describes technology as such: "It is not the neutral, rational instrument that it is portrayed as; instead it appears to be a heady and unstable mix of authoritarian control and anarchic mischief." His project, which is called "emotional mapping" or "bio mapping," encourages volunteers to wear GPS devices and lie detector sensors while exploring various neighborhoods in cities across the world. This system is said to detect people's emotions as the data is combined with their accounts of what they felt and saw. From this compiled data, he hopes to offer a commentary on the subjective nature of reality. His first U.S project brings him to San Francisco for five weeks where individuals will leisurely explore various areas of the city while mapping it with their emotions.To learn more about Christian and his interesting projects, click here.
Do you know of someone that should be my Geek of The Week? You can nominate that person by adding them to the Geek of the Week group,

io-Jacket: MP3, mobile-phone and GPS in the Jacket

geeksugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:00:26 -0700

An old school German clothing designer Lodenfrey (think suits and formal wear) introduced a very new school io-Jacket, which includes MP3, mobile-phone and GPS all built in. Apparently, 10 of the design have been produced but were sold at auction on eBay as part of a fundraiser for the Humans for Humans Foundation.

The jacket was based on Interactive-Wear’s ‘Know-where concept Jacket‘ with their integrated MP3 player and a Bluetooth mobile phone interface. It essentially makes the iPod controlling jackets that have made it big in the snowboarding world look like Salvation Army rejects.

Vodafone is sponsoring the GPS locating and uploading service for 2 years for free. According to Shiny Shiny, the jacket was priced around €4,700, which is equivalent to about $6,382 USD.

The Only Watch You'll Ever Need

geeksugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 08:00:29 -0800

It might be a little bulky and cluttered with gizmos and gears, but Martin Frey's prototype for his Just In Time Watch seems guaranteed for geek history. The watch is designed to eliminate difficult and time consuming mental processes that usually go on when you look at a watch: What time is it? When's that next appointment? How long will it take to get there? When should I leave? It may not be the all controlling watch Will Ferrell had in Stranger Than Fiction, but it's something like it.

The watch can communicate with your cellphone to establish your GPS position. It then looks up your next appointment, and maps where you are in relation to the next place you need to be, along with how long it'll take you to get there, and then displays the amount of time you have left before you have to leave! There's no price for these gadgets yet - but they are bound to fly off the shelves and into the hands of geeks everywhere when it is finally released.

Source

Possible GPS Tracking For Students Who Skip

geeksugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 01:00:01 -0800

Yikes! Good thing technology wasn't this advanced when I was in school. Lawmakers in Prince George's County in Maryland are proposing that truant students who skip school be equipped with GPS tracking devices to combat the increasing number of school skippers. The HB 506 bill is currently pending on the floor of the Maryland House of Delegates.

What ever happened to skipping class and getting your friend to write you a note? Serious or not, I don't think the solution is installing an electronic tracking microchip in teenagers.

Top Three Gadgets For Your Car

geeksugar — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 07:17:01 -0800

Want to pimp your ride minus the pink under car LED strobe lights? Check out these suggestion which are sure to make any ride smoother.

The iTrip is a great addition to any car because it lets you listen to all your favourite tunes from your iPod. This popular FM Transmitter works by plugging into the headphone socket of the iPod and coverts the audio output into an FM radio signal. With a modern backlit LCD screen and compact design, this little gadget is stylin in any car. Available at Griffin Technology Online for $50.

For two more suggestions,