GPS,
Art Lebedev's Navigarius GPS concept proves it's hip to be round
By Ross Miller 
posted Aug 11th 2009 11:03PM
posted Aug 11th 2009 11:03PM
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Square traffic lights, Round GPS? WTF
It's perfect for my circular field of vision!
No no, it's perfectly understandable. Preservation of "cool" factor is obviously an important part of the Art Lebedev business, so they reinvent square things and make them round (or vice versa) until they become the norm, and then reverse, rinse, repeat!
I can see a future Engadget article like this:
We can only imagine that at least a few staffers over at Art Lebedev Studios get paid to do nothing but conjure up ideas, because this one is just marvelous. And marvelously simple, but that's beside the point. The Navisquarius GPS concept improves upon a newly archaic design that relies on spherical fixtures when there's really no need. Lebedev's team asserts that using square GPS displays backed with bright backlight would make better use of the available space and provide a more noticeable signal to drowsy motorists. The roar of "why didn't I think of that?" being simultaneously stated is downright deafening.
*ahem* http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/22/art-lebedev-outthinks-the-room-with-square-luxofor-traffic-light/ *ahem*
because in soviet russia...
GPS drives you .... !!!
(wait..... that still makes no sense)
Circular GPS perfect for navigating your way around those Russian roundabouts.
This is not a GPS, it is a GLONASS device, meaning it will work with russian satellite service, not the american one.
whore haus moskau up ahead in. point. three. miles.
seriously where the hell else would you need to go in that god forsaken land that makes the landscape in fallout look like disneyland?
Dude, have u even been there?
How many years until this one comes to fruitation? Afterall the keyboard only took about 6-7 years it seems.
I think you mean "fruition"
Well, it sorta looks like it was designed by an Apple...
Its so fantastically unnecessary.
Earth is round. Maps probably should be too. It all makes sense now!!
so true!
Correction: The earth is a sphere, meaning it is round in multiple plains, this is just pointless, cool, but pointless.
sacapuntas
You're right, but I think having a globe stuck to your dash is a little less practical for in-car navigation.
"Covetous" does not mean "desirable". It means wanting something that is the property of someone else.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/covetous
Did you post this link to affirm my comment? If so, thanks!
I suspect not, the post was to demonstrate multiple meanings, including:
'Marked by extreme desire to acquire or possess'
Your desire to appear clever is somewhat marred by your inability to read a dictionary.
@FK:
Your desire to be an ass is confirmed by yours. The dictionary definition as linked restates exactly what I wrote in my first comment: "covetous" is an adjective that describes someone who wants something that isn't theirs, whether or not those feelings are extreme. The author of the post used the word to mean "desirable", as in a desirable object. Covetous describes people; an object can't be covetous. Need a similar distinction to help you out? Try envious and enviable.
My point is that Engadget needs a copy editor. You should not apply for the job.
well, when you are buying something (or as you consumerists like to put it : picking up), until you actually pay for it, you covet.
Buy an Iphone and use GPS
what if I like my GPS to be a circle?
But is the iPhone round? No it is not. The roundness makes all the difference. Without the roundness its scum under my feet *hack tuh*
WTF is "*hack tuh*"?
WTF is WTF ?
Dragon Ball Radar!
+1
lol, good luck getting a LCD supplier.
pick the most wasteful shape possible for screens.
Ming the Merciless is pleased by these rounded devices.
would look great in a mini cooper.
exactly what I was thinking. Just cover up one of those circle panels and save $$.
I too was gonna say the same thing! Everything inside the MINI Cooper is circular so why not make the GPS circular too.
I want to jiz in Art Lebedev's ear and charge it 5k for the pleasure.
god id hate to see the poor programmer that gets stuck with this job. rectangles are nice and easy to work with but circles give me nightmares
Polar coordinates, HO!!!
Um, how about treating it as a rectangle in which only a circular section can be seen? Not too hard eh. Whichever way you do it, it's not a difficult problem.
Nah... Circles aren't that difficult. You can basically work with them as squares and adjust everything by each displayed object's distance from the center of the viewing area.
I think Art Lebedev would take exception with this being called a "GPS", because it's intended to use Russia's navigation system, GLONASS.
Realistically, GLONASS doesn't work fully anywhere but Russia, so it would more likely be dual-mode GLONASS/GPS (if it were even produced), but you still shouldn't call it a GPS.
Excuse me? GLONASS works perfectly in Entire Europe, North/South America, most of Asia/Africa and most of populated Australia.
And yes, most of current GLONASS devices support GPS as well. Some industrial devices support Galileo in addition to these two, even though Galileo isn't operational and won't be for next few years.
it must be spy vs spy with giz showing a black A.L.N. gps concept and engadget a white A.L.N. gps concept...
It looks refreshing, futuristic, ...expensive.
I can't say I wouldn't want it if I could get one for free.
Neat. You know this is just begging for a steam punk mod.
this would look great in the MINI Cooper.
Coming soon in Summer 2019
cool, it's like a mini-map from an MMO
Whoa... is there a Grand Theft Auto mode for it? That'd be kind'a cool... a zooming overhead view with a dot that moves around the perimeter to indicate the direction to your destination.
This is not a GPS, this is a GLONASS device, meaning it will work with russian satellite service, not the american one.