Candid conversations about using GPS and wireless technology for work and fun.
Posts tagged garmin
GPS – Tracking Dogs or Kids
Jun 26th
Tweet
Author—Mary Beth Lowell – Communications Manager
As a new parent who is getting very little sleep at night, I’ve noticed I now have very strange dreams in the short increments that I do get.
Last night I had a dream that I lost my dog in a mall. (I have no idea where that came from but on a scale of 1 to 10, that was a 1 compared to other recent dreams.)
Coincidentally enough though, Garmin today introduced its new dog collar with GPS.
I was reading about it on Gizmodo and saw that someone had commented that it should be used on kids. I’m sure they were joking but it did make me think about other technology that allows you to track your kids (new parent brain).
There are several different options such as giving your kids a phone with GPS or maybe a bracelet. Wherify has an interesting product – a watch that has GPS on it. I know kids love fun watches so I’m thinking this might be a great option for both boys and girls. It currently comes in blue or purple but my guess is if they had pink, they’d sell more for girls.
What do you think? Do you track your kids? Anyone who thinks this is a bad idea?
Mapping vs. Navigation – What’s the Difference?
Feb 12th
Tweet
Author – Mary Beth Lowell – Communications Manager
I’ve seen quite a bit of discussion in other blogs and on customer forums about the difference between mapping services (like Google Maps) and navigation services like TeleNav GPS Navigator. Understandably, many folks are confused about why they should pay for one (TeleNav GPS Navigator) when they can get the other for free (Google Maps).
We’ve created a page on our Web site to try and help clear up this confusion and demonstrate the differences between the two. This page can be accessed here: http://www.telenav.com/about/maps-vs-navigation/ but I’ve pasted below the section on the site which directly compares the two.
Essentially, TeleNav GPS Navigator is just like a standalone navigation device (Garmin, Tom Tom, etc.) whereas mapping services are static text directions with an overview map. Using mapping services is basically like printing out directions from Mapquest. Other than the obvious difference in features, mapping services may be good for walking directions but could certainly be hard (and dangerous) to follow if you are driving.
What do you think? Does this help explain the difference between the two for you? We’d love to hear your feedback.
Garmin nüvifone – A New Phone but Not a New Concept
Feb 4th
Tweet
Author—Sal Dhanani – Co-Founder and Sr. Director of Marketing
|
This is TeleNav GPS Navigator on a BlackBerry – did you really think I’d post a nüvifone image? |
|
We’re not normally in the business of spreading news from our competitors but Garmin’s announcement last week on its nüvifone is interesting enough that we think it’s worth a discussion.
It’s no secret that more and more people are using cell phone GPS navigation services like TeleNav GPS Navigator. Just look at many of the comments that our customers have posted about how they have used our service. (By the way, picking winners of this contest is going to be very hard – I love all of the stories!)
More and more analysts are predicting that cell phone-based services will be a big in the next couple of years so it’s not really surprising that Garmin is expanding its portfolio to move in this direction. With more and more talk of convergence in devices, it just makes sense that people will prefer one device over two … a great example? The iPhone.
If convergence is what people really want, then getting GPS navigation on your cell phone vs. a separate navigation device is perfectly logical … Which was, of course, our initial vision when starting TeleNav. It is really exciting for me to see the explosion of growth in the industry and to see companies like Garmin developing devices that will essentially do what we have already been doing since 2003.
It will be interesting to watch the evolution of the nüvifone and to try one out when it becomes available. In the meantime, we’re continuing to develop our application for hundreds of phones and with many carriers – this provides our customers with many choices in devices.
What do you think? If you have thoughts on the nüvifone, we’d love to hear them.
CES: GPS Navigation and Internet Connectivity – This is Not News
Jan 10th
Tweet
Author—Sal Dhanani – Co-Founder and Sr. Director of Marketing
I’ve been monitoring some of the GPS news coming from CES this week and it seems like at least one major theme popping up this year is connectivity.
Traditionally standalone GPS devices have not provided a “real-time” connection with the Internet. The mapping and business information must manually be updated by the customer on a quarterly or annual basis.
However, now some of the newer devices have this connection capability and are on display in Vegas at the show. The benefits of connectivity include real-time access to information like traffic, local business listings, etc.
There is a catch though. These connected devices (the hardware itself) will likely cost you much, much more than the non-connected devices and there will be a monthly subscription fee added on top of the cost of the hardware.
What surprises me is that many people still do not realize that their cell phones have provided GPS navigation services and this inherent Internet connectivity for several years now. Rather than purchase an extremely expensive GPS device (for anywhere from $400 – $2,000), they can get the same GPS navigation capabilities on their cell phones.
So, at the end of the day, they can get the same service for ONLY a monthly subscription and they can get it on a device they already own and carry with them everywhere – with the same amount of real-time information.
Our goal in this industry has been from the beginning to bring very high-quality GPS navigation services to everyone at a great value.
Hopefully customers will do some competitive shopping before purchasing expensive connected GPS devices. Try our service for 30 days for free and I think you’ll see that what is being touted as “new” at CES, is already available to you at a much more affordable price.
Using GPS to Meet Your New Year Resolutions
Dec 27th
Tweet
Author – Mary Beth Lowell – Communications Manager
Now that the holidays are almost over, it’s time to begin thinking about our New Year’s resolutions. Inevitably, most of us will have on our 2008 list something having to do with losing weight, getting back in shape or at least becoming healthier.
One of the fun (I think) advances in GPS in the past few years has been the increase in technology for outdoor activities. There seem to be GPS gadgets for anything and everything including hiking, biking, walking and running. (Is there something for swimming? Probably …)
As a runner, I love using GPS to monitor my runs. Many of the new GPS watches for runners will do everything but lace up your shoelaces and run for you. I’ve never been a hard core athlete – I don’t monitor my heart rate for anaerobic levels for example – but I love knowing how far each route around my neighborhood really is and if my speed is improving over time.
I tried one GPS running watch last summer which turned out to be a horrible experience (the brand will remain unnamed) – primarily because the GPS receiver which you have to strap to your arm was about the size of a cantaloupe and stopped working halfway through the run. In its defense, the watch was an older one (a hand-me-down from a family member) and probably three or more generations behind what’s available now. I did have a good experience however with a cell phone-based service called Bones in Motion. You can essentially throw the phone (the smaller the better) in your pocket, carry it, or use some sort of strap on your arm (I tucked mine in my iPod strap and it worked great).
I know there are more advanced GPS gadgets and watches out there now though which don’t require huge GPS receivers. (Have you seen the new Nike commercial? I have to admit, it made me want … well, whatever they are promoting.)
Any recommendations on outdoor GPS gadgets or watches that you like? Now’s a good time to hit up those after-Christmas sales…
Reviews