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Garmin's satellite hand-helds make it really hard to get lost
Garmin isn't just using CES to show off new fitness watches and software updates. The company also used the massive tradeshow to unveil two mobile devices designed for international travelers and backcountry explorers alike. The InReach SE+ and inReach Explorer+ rely on Iridium satellite coverage from Garmin's DeLorme acquisition to provide two-way messaging and worldwide GPS coverage.
Delorme's inReach two-way satellite communicator gets iOS support, sends iPhone texts from Timbuktu (video)
If you're an iPhone or iPad owner, you might have been disappointed that the Delorme inReach two-way GPS communicator launched with app support only for Android users. That's fine if you're trekking with a Casio G'zOne Commando, but not so hot if you're of the Apple mindset and get stranded canoeing down the Amazon. Thankfully, Delorme just posted an iOS version of its Earthmate app that will let your Cupertino-designed gear send either text messages or SOS beacons through a paired-up inReach unit. As before, the handheld relies on its own GPS positioning and embedded locations in messages to keep friends and rescue crews updated anywhere the device can get an Iridium satellite lock-in. It'll still cost you $250 for the device and $10 per month to stay linked up; even so, there's a real chance you'll be texting your friends from your iPhone in Mali, assuming you haven't had to call a rescue helicopter first.
IRL: Nexus One, Sansa Clip Zip, DeLorme PN-60 and the HP TouchPad
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Welcome back to IRL, a new column where we dissect, defend and gripe about the gadgets we're using in real life. This week, Dante gets a firesale TouchPad, Dana ditches her Shuffle for a Sansa Clip Zip, Tim's on a boat with the DeLorme PN-60 and Darren explains why, exactly, he's still clinging to his Nexus One.
Delorme's inReach two-way GPS Communicator receives txts on mountains, teenage hikers rejoice
Until Delorme's inReach two-way GPS Communicator, sending text messages over satellite signals was mostly a one-way affair. This 4.78 by 2.85 by 1.73-inch battery-powered minibeast pairs with either the company's PN-60w or an Android OS device to send and receive 160-character text messages and real-time GPS data to those tracking you. It can also beam an SOS message at timed intervals then receive confirmation that help is on the way when you ultimately realize that being at home with a fast connection is really all the adventure you needed anyway. Delorme tells us that the inReach will be available in October for $250 and monthly plans start at $9.95 with a one-year contract.
DeLorme PN-60w with Spot connectivity gets official, can track your friends, too
As it turns out yesterday's news from Delorme about the PN-60w wasn't exactly from DeLorme. Now the official news from the source has dropped, and it includes a few tidbits not revealed yesterday. We'll start with the bad news first: the social networking functionality here is outgoing only, meaning you can brag to your friends about making it to the top of Half Dome without plummeting to your death, but you won't be able to receive their jealous responses. For the good news, you will not only be able to send tweets and the like but can also log geocache locations directly from wherever you find them, and interestingly the device can create a sort of local area network, able to display the location of everyone within range and even easily exchange waypoints. That should make not losing your friends in the woods a little easier -- but sometimes that's half the fun of hiking.
Delorme's Earthmate PN-60w gets Spot compatibility, can beam your tweets into space
Okay, so we don't get out all that much, especially this time of year, but when we do we have this lingering dread about being disconnected. What if we miss a text from our BFF? What if we get a Facebook request from Super Fun Annoying Wall? What if we skip a tweet from @FakeAPStylebook? Delorme's latest takes care of that, relying on satellites to beam all your social networking signals from outer space. The Earthmate PN-60w is the GPS end of things, with a 32-channel receiver, three-axis compass, and all the tracking, waypoint, and breadcrumb functionality you'd expect from this sort of device. The PN-60w can then pair with a Spot Messenger for sending text messages, Facebook updates, and tweets from the most desolate of backwoods. The PN-60w is said to be avail sometime this spring, and you can pre-order yours at Amazon now for $549.
DeLorme kicks out waterproof Earthmate PN-30 GPS device
It was pretty much a year ago to the day when DeLorme released its Earthmate PN-40, and now the outfit is busting out a lower-end unit that could easily be mistaken for the PN-40 from 2008. Indeed, the PN-30 doesn't deviate from its roots, boasting a peanut-shaped waterproof chassis, a 32-channel Cartesio chipset, a daylight readable LCD and maps of the US, Canada and Mexico. It's also sporting a rubberized housing around the edges to keep it safe from minor bumps and bruises; nothing too fancy here, but it ought to bring a smile to the face of all the argonauts in attendance. You can get one headed your way next month for $299.95, and the full release is after the break.
DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 GPS unit for those of you who go outside
We don't normally get very excited about things that involve scary things like nature, bugs, and sunlight. In this case, though, DeLorme's Earthmate PN-40 GPS device sports some seriously interesting features that we couldn't pass up. It uses a high-sensitivity 32-channel Cartesio chipset that speeds up signal acquisition, a dual-core processor for insane redraw speeds, 3-axis compass with accelerometer to allow use in any position, 500MB of internal Flash memory, and supports SDHC cards. Phew. So there you have it, one of the most intense GPS units of doom you can possibly get. Good luck out there, nature people!
DeLorme introduces the GPS LT-40 for PCs of all types
The lovely, charming, and handsome folks over at DeLorme are all hot and bothered about their company's latest laptop and UMPC compatible GPS unit, the Earthmate GPS LT-40. The little yellow device sports an STMicroelectronics Teseo chipset, which apparently improves upon the heartbreaking and sub-par "satellite signal retention" and "positional accuracy" you've come to expect from other providers. The chip is even capable (they say) of finding your location in hard-to-reach areas, like around skyscrapers, or in a black hole. Additionally, the LT-40 is Galileo-ready, and uses a little something known as "Kalman filtering," which can function well even in high RF areas. The LT-40 will go on sale in April 2008 for $69.95 coupled with the Street Atlas USA 2009 software. Woo![Via Navigadget]
Build your own GPS data logger on the cheap
It's not the first DIY GPS data logger by a long shot, but Steve Cholewiak's new PIC16F88 Delorme Tripmate -- which Steve originally envisioned as a way to log his runs by carrying the unit in a backpack -- might very well be one of the cheapest. For under $20 you can snap up an old Delorme Tripmate off of eBay, and then set to work with Steve's detailed instructions. Sure, you'll need a few hax0r chops to begin with, and there's plenty of work to be done to get the Tripmate to spit out the right kind of data, and then store that data in an accessible way on some self-built circuits, but it's not like you had anything better to do this weekend, right?[Via Hack-A-Day]
