Posts Tagged ‘GPS’

The tiny GPS unit, pictured above, made its way through the FCC today.  Known as the EDGE 800, the device is designed for cyclists and features a color screen, support for ANT+ heart rate sensors, up to 15 hours of battery life, and water resistance in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.  The EDGE 800 can also be paired with a GSC 10 unit to monitor cycling performance

We don’t have any word on pricing or a release date.

Today Garmin passed a mysterious device, known only by the model number 01102436, through the FCC.  Garmin describes the device as a “Connected Personal Navigation Device,” although the company doesn’t actually describe what the device will be connecting to.

According to FCC filings, the 01102436 will rock Sierra Wireless’ Q2687 wireless embedded module.  This component offers quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support, along with a 32-bit ARM9 processor running at 104MHz.

Why would a GPS unit need quad-band GSM?  The reliance on a Sierra Wireless module suggests that the 01102436 isn’t a phone.  Instead, the device will likely use its wireless chops to download maps and upload location data, and if the device features a camera, possibly geotag photos.

The Sierra Wireless Q2687 has already been approved for use on AT&T, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the device shows up on US shores soon.  It will be interesting to see what kind of data plan is offered with the 01102436, and how Garmin plans to leverage the device’s wireless capabilities.

It appears that everyone’s favorite nature mag is getting into the GPS game.  The company’s Personal Explorer GPS unit, pictured above, made its way through the FCC today, indicating that the device will be released in the United States soon.

The Personal Explorer is manufactured by Chinese OEM manufacturer Matsunichi.  The device has a National Geographic branded UI, as you can see below.

Interestingly, the Personal Explorer features a camera, and appears to have geotagging capabilities.  That will be a nice differentiator for the device, which is entering an already crowded GPS market.

No word on pricing or a release date yet .  We’ll keep you posted.

The upcoming Garmin GPSMAP 62 handheld unit made an appearance on the FCC today, suggesting that the device’s launch date is nearing.  Designed for the outdoors, the GPSMAP 62 has 1.7GB of onboard memory, and supports 24K and 100K topo maps.  the device also supports geocaching GPX files for treasure hunting fun.

The GPSMAP 62 costs $350, and is scheduled for release in Q3 2010.

GPS rangefinders are a great tool for golfers.  Sure, you can use a laser sight, but a lot of the time you don’t really have a good line of sight, and therefore can’t get accurate measurements.

Jaio is a newcomer to the golf GPS market, and the company’s Beacon unit seems like a solid, feature-packed unit.  The device packs a 2.4” grayscale LCD screen and enough storage to store 50 course maps.  In addition to core rangefinding features, the Beacon has an electronic scorecard, club selector, and team/multiplayer modes.

The Beacon also has robust stat keeping abilities, which help you to track your improvement (or lack thereof).  You can also upload your stats to the Golfsonomy team to compare your scores with others.

You can purchase the Beacon don Jaio’s website, although it doesn’t appear that the shopping cart feature is functional yet.  No word on pricing.

Kapsys, a French manufacturer of GPS devices and software, passed their sleek Kapten NG GPS device through the FCC today.  The device provides GPS directions for pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and automobiles, and uses point of interest data maintained by Kapsys.  The Kapten NG features a touch screen and microSD slot for external storage.

While we don’t love the basic, overhead view of Kapten maps, the device does have a convenient, handheld form factor.  Vehicle mounts for the Kapten are also available.

To date, Kapsys seems to focus on Europe, but the company’s FCC filing suggests that we may see the Kapten in the States.

eNAVI passed their GT-95 CareU GPS device through the FCC today.  The device combines a cellular modem and GPS to offer a broad range of features, including SMS notifications and voice calling.

The device is designed to keep track of children or the elderly, but can also be used as a geotagger.  The compact design of the device, as well as its colorful exterior makes it ideal for the consumer market.

Who couldn’t use a computer in their car?  The TREK-743 brings you exactly that, albeit with a slightly underpowered AMD Geode processor running at 500 GHz.

The device rocks a 7” touch screen, as well as GPS.  Plus, the TREK-743 sports a CDMA/EVDO modem, allowing you to surf the web in transit.

The TREK-743 isn’t a consumer-ready solution, however.  The device can run Windows XP or CE, but it will require some customization to get up and running.  That means the TREK-743 is best suited for commercial vehicle fleets, not your Honda Accord.

Although it doesn’t look like much, this wearable device from ProTech called the Smart XT helps law enforcement to keep a handle on criminals.  The device works with a base unit to ensure that the wearer stays within a predefined area – important for those who are confined to their homes, or are restricted from entering sensitive areas.

If there are any problems, officers can use the device to communicate with the wearer via text message.  And just to make sure there’s no funny business going on, both the Smart XT and base unit have anti-tamper features that alert law enforcement if it appears that the device has been compromised.

It’s a pretty comprehensive solution that seems to go a long way to help law enforcement make the most out of their resources.

This GPS unit from NAVMAN made it through the FCC today.  There’s not a whole lot new to see here – the device has that generic touchscreen handheld design that we’ve all become so used to.

Known as the M-Nav760, this device sports a 4.3” 320×240 display.  According to the user manual, the M-Nav760 runs on Windows CE 5.0, and will have up to 128 MB of SDRAM and up to 2 GB of NAND flash memory.

Along with GPS features, the M-Nav760 can also pay music and show pictures.  No word on pricing or availability.