Archive for the 'Technology' Category

Garmin 24k Map Update

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on July 23, 2008
in GPS, Gadgets and Gear, Technology and maps
. 0 Comments

nullReader Bruce was poking around a post I did on free Garmin-compatible map alternatives from a while back. In the post, I wrote that I hadn’t bought any MapSource maps for my GPS unit for three reasons: 1. You can’t transfer maps from a National Geographic Topo program onto the Garmin units and I HATE closed systems. 2. Hiker-friendly 24k resolution for Garmins was limited to National Parks and recreation areas, and 3. They’re expensive ways to get information that is essentially free to the public … given a reliable printer and some free time.

What can I say? I’m a New Englander. I hate spending money.

Bruce was similarly frustrated — and since the free options GPS Tracklog rounded up have made little progress in making more California based maps, it appears we’re up a certain scatalogically named creek without a paddle … or map.

Garmin has been working on solving one of those problems, and may have convinced me to drop 99 bucks on some maps — because they’ve finally started releasing regional 24k resolution map packs.

Right now, they have one pack for California and Nevada, and another for Washington and Oregon, available only on MicroSD cards. There are no announced planned release dates for further packs, but we can assume (and hope) they get here quickly.

New Garmin Leaked?

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on July 10, 2008
in GPS, Gadgets and Gear and Technology
. 0 Comments

nullA few days ago, GPS Tracklog — my favorite site for keeping up on what’s new in the satellite-based locationing world — got some info and links to a buy.com page listing the as-of-then unheard of Garmin Oregon unit, the heir apparent to their Colorado Series.

No images of the theoretical unit, but according to the posted specs, it looks to be a smaller, lighter version of the Colorado, with the same-sized screen. Oh, and the screen is supposed to be a touch screen. iPhone, eat your heart out.

Personally, I don’t know how effective a touch screen is going to be on a unit that’s probably going to get banged up and knocked around pretty regularly, but whatever. Maybe it’ll drop the price on those Colorados to something those of us not in the top tax brackets can afford.

Full copy of the buy.com page follows:

GARMIN OREGON 400C Hand Held Receiver North America. Garmin International is pleased to announce Oregon; the newest member of the premium handheld line. This rugged unit with a high sensitivity GPS receiver offers innovative features such as a sunlight readable touchscreen for easy operation, as well as the ability to exchange waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly between units. In addition, you can customize your Oregon with five different user profiles: automotive, marine, recreation, fitness or geocache. The microSD card makes it simple to load optional maps for different types of adventures. The Oregons detailed mapping and high resolution color display enhance any outdoor adventure, whether on land or water.

Features
3.0 in Hand Held GPS Receiver with U.S. Costal Charts Coverage-High Sensitivity GPS Receiver for Improved Performance and Reception-Wireless Exchange of User Routes Tracks Waypoints Geocaches and Images-Electronic Compass Barometric Altimeter Temperature Sensor-MicroSD Card Slot for Optional Mapping and Data Storage-Built In 3D Basemap / 3D Elevation View

Tech Specs
GARMIN OREGON 400C Hand Held Receiver North America

Saltwater mariners will love the preloaded detailed BlueChart g2 coverage for the coastal U.S. and the Bahamas in the 400c. The chart detail includes shoreline, depth contours, navaids and port plans.

High sensitivity GPS receiver for improved performance and reception

Easy to use, touchscreen interface

microSD card slot for optional mapping and data storage

Electronic compass, barometric altimeter, temperature sensor

Built in 3D Basemap /Digital Elevation Model

3D elevation view

Wireless exchange of user routes, tracks, waypoints, geocaches and images

Unit dimensions: 4.5 in x 2.3 in x 1.4 in

Display size: 3 in color, touch screen

Pixels / H x W: 240 x 400

Waterproof standard: IEC 60529 IPX7

Battery type: two high capacity or lithium ion AA batteries

Weight: 6.8 oz with batteries

Part Number: 010-00697-03

Other Outdoor Nerds

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on April 23, 2008
in Gadgets and Gear, Geek Stuff, Technology and backpacking
. 0 Comments

So apparently I’m not the only giant nerd who also enjoys getting dirty outside. Boing Boing’s Gadget Editor Joel Johnson has just headed into the wild, uncontrolled wilderness of New York’s Harriman State Park with a bunch of gadgets and those solar panel chargers we read so much about, but will probably never, ever buy.

He’s attempting to blog, review and twitter (is that a verb now?) while camping and hiking — and making nerdy jokes that I very much appreciate.

For the less nerdy of you, his opening post details his list of gear and — as we all do — complains about his pack weight (almost 50 pounds for a 3-4 day! Damn!). My favorite gear item is a copy of Thoreau’s “Walden” on an Amazon Kindle.

Later, he panics when his solar panel appears to stop working, and manages to post a Flickr video via a 1xRTT wireless internet connection.

I’m sure that kind of cell-phone internet flies on the East Coast parks, but I wouldn’t bet on it out here. But still — I’d love to have a blogging office-view like Joel’s got:

null

Actually, I’d love to have a blogging office period.


Image by Joel Johnson

Colorado!

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on March 18, 2008
in GPS and Technology
. 0 Comments

null

I got my hands on a Garmin Colorado 400t — for a few days, at least.

I’m going to be flipping through the manual and fooling around with the unit over the weekend, and taking it out on the trail to give it a run-through, probably comparing it to my current Garmin eTrex Legend Cx model.

I’ve noticed a lot of activity in the comments about the Colorado, so I know you all have questions. If you’ve got a specific feature you want me to test out or a burning question you want answered, leave a comment here and I’ll do my best to check it out.

News Flash: Unplugging Helps You Relax

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on March 6, 2008
in City Life, Gadgets and Gear, Technology and in the media
. 1 Comment

The New York Times’ Mark Bittman found himself helplessly attached to his technology - it got so bad he was sleeping with a laptop next to his bed so checking his email could be the first thing he did in the morning and the last thing he did before he went to bed.

He decided enough was enough, and tried to take a 24 hour “Secular Sabbath,” unplugging all of his electronic and communication devices to take some time off from being Connected To The World. At first, he was apprehensive:

I worried about the colleagues, friends, daughters, parents and so on who relied on me, the people who knew that whether I was home or away I would get back to them, if not instantly then certainly before the end of the day. What if something important was happening, something that couldn’t wait 24 hours?

… but as the day went on, he got calmer, and actually found he was able to be more productive.

Huh. I bet any one of us could have told him that.

I guess, even though I’m using a GPS and digital camera, hiking has always been my ‘Secular Sabbath.’ One of the reasons I never take an iPod with me on the trail is that I like just hearing the wind, birds, and water instead of the city noise we’re subjected to every other day. The calm I feel from hiking is even more pronounced when I’m backpacking for a few days.

Read the full article at the NYT, to learn how Bittman got more relaxed, learned how to get more done, and saw how the trend is starting to sneak into the corporate world.

… or, if you don’t want to unplug, just wait a few years for electricity-generating microfiber hiking pants.



Via Lifehacker.

Photo by *nathan.

Garmin Colorado Reviews

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on January 7, 2008
in Gadgets and Gear and Technology
. 7 Comments

With the Consumer Electronics Show now in full swing, there will most likely be a ton of new information coming out about the highly-anticipated Garmin Colorado. But until that deluge of press releases hits, we can mop up our collective gadget-lover drool while gawking at the few stiffs lucky enough to actually get their hands on one.

GPS Tracklog has a few new images and a helpful one-page but you’re really going to want to head toward GPS Magazine.

They’ve got a 6 page comprehensive write up of their first impressions of the unit, which seems generally very favorable. They’ve got their qualms with the menu structure and the scroll wheel-like “Rock ‘n’ Roller,” but in all honesty it can’t be much worse than the thumbstick on my eTrex Vista CSx.

For me, the major selling point of the Colorado is the sexy new map view — with topographic shading and even an option for a bona-fide 3D view of your route. It’s going to be great to have a Garmin that can display something that actually looks like where you’re going hiking, instead of an image that looks like a leftover printout from your old dot matrix printer.

Start saving up, though — suggested retail price is about 600 bucks.

Yikes.

For more information, be sure to check out Garmin’s new official product page for the Colorado.

Caught on the Web

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on December 18, 2007
in Geek Stuff, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Technology
. 1 Comment

When will the Kids Today learn? When you post something on the Internets, everyone can read it. And when you’re posting about something you shouldn’t be doing, someone’s eventually going to read it who can punish you for it.

National Parks Traveler has a story from the Assateague Island National Seashore of just such an event. An angler caught a pair of rockfish that were below the minimum length required by the State of Maryland. Instead of just enjoying the fish, the angler used an in-park Wi-fi connection to brag about her catch on a message board, complete with a picture of her holding up the fish.

A ranger found the message online, recognized the angler from her photo, found her on the beach, and issued a violation notice.

Do we need any more reasons not to have Wi-Fi in our natural areas?

Via National Parks Traveler.

Free Garmin GPS Maps

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on December 7, 2007
in Geek Stuff, National Forests and Recreation Areas, Technology, Web Sites and Apps and maps
. 2 Comments

One of the most frustrating (and lame) things I learned when researching GPS units was their crippled map capabilities. I really liked the features and price of the Garmins, but National Geographic TOPO (which, in my opinion, has the most comprehensive and powerful mapping tools) aren’t able to be displayed on the GPS unit’s screen.

Garmin has its own map software, but it’s overpriced, out of date, and missing giant chunks of hikers’ territories in the 1:24k resolution that’s best for the trail. Garmin’s MapSource TOPO West, for instance, covers the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Bernardino National Forest, but not the Angeles, Cleveland, or Los Padres. Until they update their data and give me more detailed maps, I ain’t handin’ over any hard-earned cash.

It’s not easy, but a temporary solution is here — free, user-created, Garmin-compatible GPS maps.

The gearheads over at GPS Tracklog have put together a comprehensive list of sources and instructions on how to get some free 24k maps from the internets into your Garmin GPS. It requires a bunch of different web sites and a Windows freeware download, but hey — that’s what we hax0rs have to do when The Man doesn’t give us what we need, right?

Some of the map sites they link to have great, detailed maps of Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and Lassen — but still no Angeles National Forest. So we’ve still got a ways to go.

Still, it’s free. So don’t complain.

GPS-less GPS On Your Phone

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on November 28, 2007
in City Life, Technology and Web Sites and Apps
. 3 Comments

I hate to do two Google Maps posts in a row — OK, no I don’t. I love Google Maps.

But this week they’ve also unveiled a new beta feature on Google Maps mobile that will allow you to see your current location on a Google Map, even if you don’t have GPS in your phone or handheld.

The feature uses cell phone towers to semi-triangulate your area and display it on your map — and it does it faster than GPS, too. Maybe you’d like to see Google explain it themselves, in this playfully produced video:

Obviously the service varies depending on your cell phone coverage, and may not be the most helpful thing if you’re, say, in the middle of the San Gabriels. But it’s at least helpful in getting your car to the trailhead — and potentially finding some good grub when you’re done pounding the dirt.

Point your mobile browser over here.

Via CNET.

Affordable Beacon

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on August 13, 2007
in Gadgets and Gear, Technology and Web Sites and Apps
. 1 Comment

The Spot Beacon is a personal satellite phone / emergency beacon that uses a private network instead of bothering the feds when you’re in trouble — and it’s also more affordable. At $150 (with a $100 / year subscription), it’s definitely less of a hit to the wallet than the 5 to 6 hundred the government-network beacons will run you.

Despite the lower price, these are a bit fancier — it also tracks your progress in real-time on Google Maps (!!!), and can contact your friends and relatives via phone, email, or text message if you’ve got a non-emergency situation or just want to let them know you’re ok.

Moms everywhere will approve, once the product launches on November 1st.

Via The Goat.