garmin nuvi 1100

garmin nuvi 1100

from NaviGadget by Dave Rubert

This is the wallet friendly nuvi GPS navigation system from Garmin for those on a budget. It is called the Garmin Nuvi 1100. This specific model found itself a place on Garmin’s site rather quietly – without a press release or anything. I guess they don’t want to advertise a GPS navigation system that lacks pretty much every modern day feature.

Nuvi 1100 has a 3.5″ screen and can provide turn by turn directions. Battery can last up to 4 hours. It does not do text-to-speech, lane assist, traffic updates, or speech recognition. However it is compatible with FM traffic, and MSN Direct.

We’re guessing this will be sub $100. If you find this on an online retailer let us know. Price not announced yet.

Brought to you by your GPS navigation site NaviGadget.

garmin nuvi 1100

First looks – Garmin nuvi 295W

First looks – Garmin nuvi 295W

from GPS Tracklog by Rich Owings

I’ve had the new WiFi-enabled Garmin nuvi 295W (Amazon) in my hands for 24 hours now and I thought I’d give you a sneak peek ahead of my full review. I don’t have a whole lot to say yet, but I will note the following:

• The menu looks similar (in places at least) to that found on the forthcoming nuvi 3700 series
• The hardware does indeed appear to be repurposed from the nuvifone G60, in design if not substance
• WiFi and email setup are drop dead easy
• The nuvi 295W has a powered mount, always a welcome addition

If there are things you’d like covered in my review, drop a comment below. Here are some more screenshots and a picture of the back:

The Geotaggers’ World Atlas

The Geotaggers’ World Atlas

from geo2web.com by geo2web

The Geotaggers’ World Atlas is Eric Fischer at work again: this time he’s taken geographical data from Flickr photos, determined the speed at which the photographers were travelling based on their photos’ timestamps and geotags, and plotted them on an OpenStreetMap background layer. He’s done this for 50 cities. The colours are the same as with his map of San Francisco’s Muni: black is less than 7 mph (11 km/h), red is less than 19 mph (30 km/h), blue is less than 43 mph (69 km/h), and green is faster. Via Burrito Justice and Flickr Blog.

Previously: Mapping the Muni.

IDC Expects 7.6m iPad-Like Tablets to...

IDC Expects 7.6m iPad-Like Tablets to Ship in 2010

Differentiated Apps Crucial for the Category

According to a new forecast from market research firm IDC, worldwide media tablet shipments will grow from 7.6 million units in 2010 to more than 46 million units in 2014, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 57.4%. In comparison, IDC expects 398 million portable PCs will be shipped in 2014. "These are early days for media tablets, an altogether new device category that takes its place between smartphones and portable PCs. IDC expects consumer demand for media tablets to be strongly driven by the number and variety of compatible third-party apps for content and services," noted Susan Kevorkian, program director at IDC. "The availability of apps unique to media tablets and that differentiate the experience of using one compared with a PC or smartphone will be crucial for driving consumer demand. As the category matures and more media tablet-optimized apps become available, IDC expects that media tablets will evolve beyond nice-to-have devices and become necessities for many consumers." Early May Apple already announced that it sold its one millionth iPad, 28 days after its introduction. At that time iPad users had downloaded over 12 million apps from the App Store.

TIGR - Sales Agent Needed

Location: All USA, VA 22218

Employee Type:Full-Time

Industry Military Security Training

Manages Others: No

Job Type:Government InformationTechnologyTraining

Education: High School
Experience: At least 3 year(s)
Travel: Up to 50%
Post Date: 5/18/2010
Contact Information
Contact: Marc Michaelis
Ref ID:DA-18F
410-734-9217

• This position seeks a Field Service Representative (FSR) who will perform as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) and who will be responsible
• for on-the-ground training and integration of the Tactical Ground Reporting System (TIGR) principally within Continental United States (CONUS) based Army and Marine Corps units. TIGR is a multimedia geospatial information management system which allows Soldiers and Marines at the patrol level to collect and share information to improve situational awareness and to facilitate collaboration and information analysis among combat leaders.

• Principally supporting users at Company level and below, TIGR also complements existing reporting systems that focus on the needs of users at Battalion or Brigade level and above. TIGR's graphical, map-referenced user interface is highly intuitive, and allows multimedia data such as voice recordings, digital photos, and GPS tracks to be easily collected and searched.
• The system also uses a state-of-the-art data distribution architecture which minimizes the load on tactical networks, even while allowing digital imagery and other multimedia data to be rapidly exchanged. TIGR offers a unique multimedia view of the battlefield, in real time, to soldiers from the patrol level on up. Today’s asymmetric battlefield requires soldiers at all levels to be collectors and interpreters of intelligence.
• The system offers patrol level leaders the opportunity to conduct company and patrol level IPB both pre and post mission. The system provides information rich reporting, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing through the integration of digital pictures, audio, video, and GPS tracks, and other types of media, into the collection, debrief, and analysis process, in real time.

• Responsibilities include: the development of tailored standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the employment of TIGR related to supported operations; over the shoulder training; mentoring of transitioning units; and facilitating the deployment of new systems.

• This is a full-time position principally located within the US; the FSR may reside anywhere in CONUS. We will provide TIGR application software training for the FSR in Arlington, Virginia prior deployment.

Requirements

• US Citizen. This position requires a current Secret clearance and passport.
• As required, the Field Support Representative may be deployed overseas principally to non-combat areas for short durations (~30 days, ie: Italy, Germany).
• The Field Service Representative requires prior and recent in-depth leadership, knowledge and experience with tactical ground combat operations as well as a good understanding of the patrol debrief and tactical intelligence analysis process - especially as it relates to adapting TTPs and SOPs to meet rapidly changing tactical threats.
• US Army and US Marine Corps Senior NCOs/Junior Officers with recent combat operations/combat patrol experience represent an ideal candidate. Stability and support or counterinsurgency operations experience is desired.
• The Field Service Representative must be Microsoft Windows literate, be competent with the Microsoft Office Suite, and a quick-learner of new Web-based applications. Prior counter-insurgency, tactical, or training experience is a plus.
• Candidates must possess extraordinary interpersonal relationship skills and be self-motivated and self-disciplined. Experience in military teaching or training is a plus. Minimum High School Diploma; college degree preferred.

Feature Matrix for FalconView/TalonView

Dissecting the Garmin nuvi series

Dissecting the Garmin nuvi series

from GPS Tracklog by Rich Owings

It seems that Garmin is trying to create a nuvi for everyone, but with so many models in the marketplace, they’ve also created quite a bit of confusion. So here’s the low down on the various nuvi series available in the US. I’ll go through each series in numerical order; below that is a chart which breaks them down by date of introduction. These are fairly broad strokes — for more details, see my Garmin nuvi comparison chart.

• 200 series – This was Garmin’s first budget, entry-level lineup. It includes the nuvi 200, 250, 260 and 270. All have a 3.5″ screen. The 200 series was the first nuvi group with an internal antenna, giving them a less obtrusive profile. Introduced in March 2007; DISCONTINUED.
• 200W series – The 200W, 250W and 260W added 4.3” wide-screen models to the 200 series. Introduced in June 2007; DISCONTNUED
• 2×5 series – A subsequent entry-level line added several new features, including speed limit and trip log display. Like the 200 series, the “W” models sport a 4.3” wide screen. Introduced in March 2008.
• 2×5T series – Updated the 2×5 series, adding free lifetime traffic and Bluetooth. Introduced in August 2008.
• 295W – An oddball, and not really part of the 2×5 series, the 295W is the first nuvi to offer WiFi. Introduced in May 2010.
• 300 series – The original nuvi series, it has more features than the 200 series. Introduced in September 2005; DISCONTINUED
• 465T– A trucker-friendly model introduced in March 2009
• 500 series – “Crossover” models designed for driving, hiking, cycling and boating. Based on the 2×5 series and introduced in July 2008
• 600 series – An early high-end line, this group includes the nuvi 650, 660, 670 and 680. Marrying a 4.3” wide screen and nuvi 300 series features, it was introduced in September 2006; DISCONTINUED
• 700 series – These units incorporate the high-end features of the 600 series, with the internal antenna found on the 200 series. Introduced in August 2007; DISCONTINUED
• 7×5T series – Another high-end line that adds lifetime traffic (except for the 785T), lane assist and 3-D buildings to the nuvi 700 series features. Introduced in August 2008.
• 800 series – The first nuvis with voice recognition. Introduced in January 2008; DISCONTINUED
• 8×5 series – The second-generation voice command nuvi lineup. Introduced in January 2009.
• 1200, 1300, 1400 series – This newer line is thinner and lighter than previous generations, and adds some features formerly found only on higher end models. Introduced in March 2009.
• 1600 series – The first connected nuvi. Introduced in September 2009.
• 3700 series (pictured above) – At 9 mm, the thinnest nuvis to date and the first to use historic traffic data (trafficTrends) and have the ability to switch to portrait orientation. Expected to hit the market in Q3 2010.
• 5000 – Another one-off model, this was the first nuvi to offer a 5” screen. Introduced in February 2008. DISCONTINUED
• x7x and xx7x models – The transatlantic 270, 275T, 370, 670, 770, 775T and 1370T models cross geographic as well as nuvi series boundaries, offering pre-loaded maps of the U.S., Canada and Europe.
• x8x models – The 285WT, 680, 780, 785T, 880 and 885T models each come with an MSN Direct receiver; that service is being discontinued as of January 1, 2012.

By date:

Series	Introduction date	Status
300	September 2005	Discontinued
600	September 2006	Discontinued
200	March 2007	Discontinued
200W	June 2007	Discontinued
700	August 2007	Discontinued
800	January 2008	Discontinued
5000	February 2008	Discontinued
2×5	March 2008	Current
500	July 2008	Current
2×5T	August 2008	Current
7×5T	August 2008	Current
8×5	January 2009	Current
465T	March 2009	Current
1200, 1300, 1400	March 2009	Current
1600	September 2009	Current
295W	May 2010	Current
3700	July 2010	Current

Easiest Way to Use a GPS when in Europe

from GPS Lodge by Scott Martin

Going to Europe this summer? no traveler should be without a GPS when driving in a foreign unfamiliar country. It's just to easy to get a GPS equipped with European maps to make sure you can get from one place to another. I mean, getting lost is a problem everyday, but it just wastes way too much time when you only have a limited amount of time touring a great country.
Don't have a GPS? Get one with Euro Maps built In

• Garmin Nuvi 275 - Standard Screen (3.5 inch) GPS with maps of North America and Europe - plus Bluetooth - $176
  
• Garmin 1370T - Widescreen (4.3 inch) GPS with maps of North America and Europe - plus Bluetooth - $248
  

Have a Garmin GPS? Add Euro Maps
I am going to talk about Garmins exclusively here because it's just too easy and too convenient to get maps and add them to a select set of units. It's as simple as adding an SD card in the side slot. That covers: Nuvi 200, 300, 600, 5000, 700 & 800 Series, Streetpilot 7200, 7500 & C-Series & Zumo. I just bought the SD card for a single country - a bit cheaper than all of Europe. How to install? Take the SD card out of the pack, and slide it in the SD card slot. It's that easy.
If you are a GPS geek and have a handheld, the product is actually a micro SD card in an SD card adapter, so not only does it fit the auto GPS units, but a wide variety of handhelds including: Colorado Series, Edge Series, and newer Etrex Series. You can get the Garmin City Navigator for Europe or you can get individual countries - details at Garmin for finding the right product.

Integrated Landscape Inventory System - ITS

Rockwell-Collins

FireStorm

Integrated Targeting System

ENABLING MISSION SUCCESS BY HITTING THE CRITICAL POINT.

Click to Enlarge

As missions change, so do requirements. As increased capabilities were identified to provide today's target designation and air control, parties needed access to significantly Improved Targeting Geolocation Accuracy (ITGA). Rockwell Collins has developed a system delivering new levels of targeting accuracy.

The Rockwell Collins FireStorm™ system provides combat proven Situational Awareness (SA) through integrated precision targeting, enabling ground personnel to seamlessly integrate with airborne assets.

Dedicated to supporting the dynamic and changing warfighting environment, the FireStorm system offers flexible solutions for ground targeting, air support and call for fire missions.

Our FireStorm system is comprised of a lightweight, fully integrated, mission configurable suite of hardware and software including tablet PC, Laser Range Finder (LRF), Laser Target Designator (LTD), real-time video receiver, a Rockwell Collins Azimuth Augmentation system and manpack radio. The system also includes the Rockwell Collins DAGR GPS receiver, tripods and other system ancillaries.

strikehawk™ Video downlink receiver

Click to Enlarge

The Rockwell Collins StrikeHawk is a carefully designed, extremely rugged compact military video receiver for reception of real-time video transmitted from targeting pods. UAVs or other surveillance platforms enabling information for the tactical user. Designed for use by the target designated and air control party in the specialist role to support targeting missions and provide immediate Battle Damage Assessment (BDA), the receiver may also be carried by ground troops taking advantage of any surveillance assets available to them within threatre and in the vicinity of their immediate operations, offering invaluable insight into the movements and disposition of not only friendly but also local or approaching hostile forces.

Options for the StrikeHawk cover the downlink bands currently dominating current in-theatre use and can be tuned to the available pod or downlink frequency in use. The downlinked images are made available in IP protocol for connection to tablet PCs or an IP distribution system, or can be displayed on the Rockwell Collins SO-35 helmet mounted display (HMD) to allow patrol mobility to the users.

When used in conjunction with a tablet PC, the computer controls the operation of the receiver and allows frequency and other necessary inputs. In the patrol role the frequency is set by a simple up/down menu on the associated controller. An extremely compact, body worn and purpose designed omnidirectional antenna is included to optimize reception of video transmitted from airborne platforms while on foot. It provides proven reception in excess of user specified downlink operating ranges.

azimuth augmentation system

Click to Enlarge

Our Azimuth Augmentation system is used to calibrate and correct direct targeting accuracy, calibrating out the inherent LRF inaccuracies, and enables precise delivery of modern GPS guided weapons. Rockwell Collins' Azimuth Augmentation solution derives its reference bearing by processing signals from two internal GPS receivers connected to external antennas separated by a short and variable baseline. The enhanced azimuth accuracy together with the range and elevation from the LRF is handed off to the RJF software which processes the target data. The Rockwell Collins system provides U.S. and coalition forces with a uniquely accurate, fully fielded, combat proven solution for air and ground targeting.

Tablet PC

At the heart of the FireStorm system is a lightweight tablet PC which hosts the Rosetta Joint Fires software providing connectivity to the various system components. Battle manager, situation awareness, Blue Force Tracking (BFT), test messaging and Air Support Requests (ASR) are processed, transmitted and received via the tablet PC enabling the sharing of peer to peer data and target identification between ground targeting, air support and call for fire missions.

laser range finder

Currently the FireStorm™ system supports a number of different Laser Range Finders (LRFs) based upon individual customer requirements. The LRF is fully integrated into the system and provides the necessary ranging data to the system to enable it to very accurately calculate the target position.

This Rockwell Collins FireStorm system is under evaluation and deployment by a number of coalition forces to support their Forward Observers and Air Controllers.

Rockwell Collins prides itself on a complete support package covering spares, repairs, extensive field support and tight integration with aircraft and ground systems development schedules.

Click to Enlarge

Rosetta joint fires software

Rockwell Collins' Rosetta Joint Fires (RJF) software provides connectivity to the battle manager, situation awareness, Blue Force Tracking (BFT), sharing of target positions, text messaging and Air Support Requests (ASR). It provides data forwarding, gateway and routing capabilities that support Link 16 and other data enabled networks. Our RJF software supports the Rockwell Collins Azimuth Augmentation software suite, the Indirect Target Mensuration system software such as PSS-SOF and DPPS, and StrikeHawk™ in addition to 9-line data links for fighters, bombers, helicopters and other coalition airborne platforms.

Click to Enlarge

The Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Air Support Operations Center (ASOC) gateway is the first operational gateway fielded by the USAF. The gateway acts as a bridge between the users on the battlefield and complex data links such as Link 16 and SADL.

Hardware too heavy to carry can be installed into the gateway vehicle and via RJF's smart routing technology, command and control and situational awareness can be shared by all the TACPs on the network.

BUILDING TRUST EVERY DAY.

Rockwell Collins delivers smart communication and aviation electronic solutions to customers worldwide. Backed by a global network of service and support, we stand committed to putting technology and practical innovation to work for you whenever and wherever you need us. In this way, working together, we build trust. Every day.

For more information contact:

Rockwell Collins 400 Collins Road NE Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52498 Phone: 800-321-2223 319-295-5100 Fax: 319-295-4777 E-mail: <learnmore@rockwellcollins.com> Website: www.rockwellcollins.com/gs

Garmin Adds GPSMAP 62S

Garmin GPSMAP 62 series first pics

from GPS Tracklog by Rich Owings

1 person liked this

The king is dead, long live the king. We now have visual evidence of the existence of the Garmin GPSMAP 62 series, including the successor to the long-reigning 60CSx, which has served as the gold standard for handheld GPS receivers for several years.

Designed for those of you who think “ruggedized touchscreen” is an oxymoron, or prefer visibility to high-resolution, word on the street is that we’ll see these babies in stores by early July.

Like the 78 series, the 62 line mimics the form factor of the previous generation, with only slight updates. The buttons remain the same, and thankfully they’ve left the quad-helix antenna in there too. Looks like you can expect paperless geocaching and the ability to load up on Garmin custom maps and BirdsEye aerial imagery, while some models will add a tri-axial electronic compass and barometric altimeter (62S, 62ST) and pre-loaded topos (62ST for the US, 62STC for Canada). Speaking of our brethren up north, we can thank the Canadian publication Radio World for the pics (hat tip to Coggins).

Google's WebM Codec

WebM's royalty-free HTML5 video raises patent issues

The new WebM codec shown at the analysis. Although pitched as a royalty-free HTML5 video standard using a combination of VP8 video and Ogg Vorbis, x264 developer Jason Garrett-Glaser notes that some of the implementations in the now Google-supported format are copied not just from On2's original creation but appear to be directly patterned after H.264, making it entirely possible that WebM violates patents. It resembles an only slightly improved version of the H.264 Baseline Profile and so could invite lawsuits from the MPEG-LA standards group for anyone that uses it.

"Though I am not a lawyer, I simply cannot believe that they will be able to get away with this, especially in today's overly litigious day and age," Garret-Glaser said. "Even VC-1 [used in HD DVD] differed more from H.264 than VP8 does, and even VC-1 didn't manage to escape the clutches of software patents. Until we get some hard evidence that VP8 is safe, I would be extremely cautious. Since Google is not indemnifying users of VP8 from patent lawsuits, this is even more of a potential problem."

The programmer's remarks support statements by Apple CEO Steve Jobs that hiscompany was embracing H.264 over Ogg Theora (which users Ogg Vorbis) because of possible patent issues. Although he publicly supports the concept of open web platforms, Jobs warned that open-sourcing formats didn't guarantee they would be patent-free. H.264 often involves royalties for the companies that implement it but is currently free for users and, as a result, lets Apple and others implement it for HTML5 video knowing neither they nor customers will be sued.

Garrett-Glaser added that the format may be technically inferior to higher-quality versions of H.264. It's technically superior to Ogg Theora and other open-source standards but is slow to encode and lacks many of the compression techniques used to boost quality and efficiency in H.264's Main and High Profiles. The efficiency and image quality are "not even close to competitive" with higher-bitrate H.264, the developer said.

At present, WebM also doesn't have hardware acceleration and could be much less efficient on mobile devices, although Google is talking with companies to get it built-in. Jobs cited the weak state of hardware acceleration as a key reason behind rejecting Flash for the iPhone.

Neither Google nor its WebM partners Mozilla and Opera have commented on the accusations; they may already encounter patent issues as the YouTube HTML5 beta and an Opera beta both implement the codec.

Read more: http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/05/19/google.mozilla.opera.may.be.in.trouble.with.webm/#ixzz0oQjBYevq

Clearly High-Definiton?

Crunchgear - When HD is not High-Definition

by Devin Coldewey on May 18, 2010

Remember the “megapixel myth” that has driven camera specs for the last decade or so? Yeah, it’s still here; it’s called the “HD hoax” now. I just made that up. But seriously. The idea behind the megapixel myth was that simply increasing the size of the output image didn’t usually result in a better picture in any way. In fact, in addition to filling up the memory card faster, this megapixel bloat led to images that were noticeably less sharp and true to life. Similarly, so-called HD cameras and sensors are now being sold strictly on numbers and not on features or performance. But more data for the image is always better, right? Not quite.

What set this post off was that yesterday, Omnivision announced that they were packing 1080p onto a 1/6″ sensor. An admirable feat of miniaturization. But the reality is that this “high definition” is anything but.

Now, every camera that I’ve shot with, including the impressive T2i, has problems with HD. Somewhere along the line, in one of those steps I mentioned above, something goes wrong. And with imaging, it only takes one weak link to create a bad photo or video. High definition shouldn’t just be a name for a resolution. It should mean the level of definition in the image is high.

The pocket cams out there, for instance, can barely ape “HD.” Under the correct circumstances, in good lighting and with no motion, you would look at the 720p image and think “yes, that’s high definition.” For the most part, though, motion is blurry, colors are mixed, edges are indistinct, and there’s a weird sort of texture over the whole frame. What the hell? You paid good money for “full HD” (as the pocket cams are now advertising: 1080p in a phone-sized package). Why aren’t you getting images like the ones you see on TV?

How can you avoid this? Well, just like the megapixel race, you really can’t. Video recording devices are simply going to overdo it the way still cameras overdid it, and now we all have hundreds or thousands of dubious images which despite being 10 or 15 megapixels, if you look closely or print too big, have all kinds of weird artifacts in them. It’ll be the same for video. You can choose to record at a lower resolution; 720p (even VGA sometimes) is just fine, after all, and often will record at the same framerate, meaning better image quality. And actually look at the lenses on the cameras you buy. Lenses that are bigger across are (generally speaking) better, and every lens has its F numbers printed on it or in its spec sheet. If you’re trying to decide between a few cameras, look at their lenses: if one device maker is shirking on the lens, arguably the most important part of the camera, then you can be sure they shirked elsewhere too. Also, don’t buy anything that shoots in 1080i. Interlacing is a monster deserving of its own post.

I’d like to say that my issue with inflated video resolutions (and megapixels) is something that will be alleviated by time, like some of Ebert’s objections to 3D. But the cost of good optics isn’t really coming down, and really, the size of the lens is a physical barrier not likely to be surmounted any time soon. The methods we have for collecting and measuring light aren’t sufficient, and the improvements yet to be made for them will do nothing to help the fact that with bad components, it’s garbage in, garbage out.

Only two Smartphone OSs to Persist?

Smart Phones: Will There Be More Than Two Mobile Platforms?

Eric Savitz

Right now, the smart phone landscape seems completely cluttered with software platforms: IPhone OS, Android, Windows, Symbian, Maemo, BlackBerry OS,WebOS and a number of others. But that’s not likely to be the case forever. Some of the players will end up being exposed as pretenders.

Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Rodman & Renshaw, made the fascinating (and highly controversial) assertion in a research note on Monday that when the dust settles, the market could be down to just two players: Google (GOOG) Androidand Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone.

Kumar in one short note throws out some astounding predictions:

• For starters, he says that Apple “will likely end” its remaining exclusive relationships with the launch of the 4G iPhone; he says that should trigger wider distribution.
• If Nokia’s new version of Symbian fails to gain traction, he contends, the company wilt be forced to adopt either Android or Microsoft Windows Phone 7 as its primary OS. He contends that “the odds are stacked against the survival of Symbian.”
• As for the Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) acquisition of Palm (PALM), he thinks that “without significant increase in spending to woo channel and software partners, HP’s acquisition of Palm will likely fail.”
• Research In Motion (RIMM), he thinks “is not likely to do much better than maintain share” with its pending BlackBerry OS refresh.
• Windows, he says, “remains a wild card.”

So, dear readers, Is Ashok right - are we eventually headed for a smart phone software duopoly?

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view...

GPS File Depoh

Garmin Nuvi 295W - Widescreen and WiF...

Garmin Nuvi 295W - Widescreen and WiFi GPS

from GPS Lodge by Scott Martin

The Garmin Nuvi 295W is probably the coolest GPS to hit the market in a long time; it's new and it's based on the form factor of the Nuvifone. Seeking to blur the lines between phones and navigators, Garmin has packed innovation in here, giving you classic Garmin navigation plus the ability to snap photos on your Nuvi with the 3MP camera, geotag them and then email the through the WiFi hotsot at the local coffee shop or your home office. The connected fun doesn't stop there - Google local search, and the ability to see email attachments comes in the package too - MS Office, PDF and JPGs.

Navigation is pretty standard Garmin with the simple to use "Where to?" and "View Maps" interface, adding a scrollable filmstrip of options at the bottom that you can cruise through with the flick of a finger. Of course it says street names and of course it has maps of the US and Canada, as well as about 6 million Points of Interest.

Shipping May 16 for $279 - Garmin Nuvi 295W

Sony teases high-end camcorders

Sony teases high-end camcorder with Exmor APC HD sensor and interchangeable lenses (video)

By Thomas Ricker posted May 11th 2010 3:05AM

Like Sony's new NEX3 and NEX5 compact cameras with APC-C-sized sensors? Then check out this tease for a Sony camcorder. The AVCHD shooter will feature the same Exmor APC HD CMOS sensor and E Mount interchangeable lenses. Better yet, it'll also work with A Mount lenses built for Sony's existing Alpha DSLRs. Coming this fall, that's when.

Sony makes NEX mirrorless pro cameras...

Sony makes NEX mirrorless pro cameras official for US

Sony NEX-3 and NEX-5 claim edge over MFT rivals

Sony fired its opening salvo in mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras by launching the Alpha NEX-3 and NEX-5. Elaborating on anearly reveal, Sony sees both as trumping Micro Four Thirds cameras through their sensors. Either has a 14.2-megapixel CMOS sensor that reaches APS-C size; the dimensions match those of most DSLRs and are about 60 percent larger than with the MFT system, cutting back on noise while allowing sensitivity as high as ISO 12,800.

The two also promise a relatively simple interface with a 3-inch, 921,000-pixel preview LCD that can provide both full manual control as well as a streamlined UI that puts settings like aperture in layman's terms. The panel articulates vertically for off-angle shooting and is uniquely designed for higher contrast and better visibility outdoors.

Without the need for mirrors, the two have the distinction of being the first Alphas with video and shoot footage at different maximum resolutions. The NEX-3 captures up to 720p in MPEG-4, while the NEX-5 can record in H.264 up to 1080i. Either camera can also take advantage of high-speed shooting: they can shoot at up to 7 frames per second at full resolution and, with a July firmware update, will get the same sweep panorama mode that many newer Cyber-shot compacts already have.

The cameras themselves will ship in July and will have a unique mix of lenses and accessories. Every model will ship with a small hot shoe flash; the base kits with 16mm f2.8 pancake lenses will cost $550 in NEX-3 garb and $650 for the NEX-5. An 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 lens bundle will lift the prices to $600 and $700. An 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 lens is also coming, but it won't ship until the fall and so far is only being listed as coming by itself for $800. A viewfinder and a stereo mic will be options but haven't received their prices.

New WirelessHD spec would allow wirel...

New WirelessHD spec 10 Gbps to 28Gbps would allow wireless smartphone video

Electronista.com

WirelessHD 1.1 spec gets faster, mobile 12:20 pm EDT, Mon May 10, 2010

A second ultra-fast wireless standard received an update on Monday as the WirelessHDConsortium put out the 1.1 version of its spec. The new version ups the bandwidth to a minimum 10Gbps and maximum 28Gbps; the extra speed renders it possible to send 3Dand 4K video over wireless. Portability is now a major focus as well: it can stream uncompressed video between the source and a handheld such as a smartphone or a media player.

Both regular and portable devices can now also create personal area networks for syncing files between devices. Even at the lowest possible amount of power, it should still supply "multi-gigabit" transfer speeds and reduce the amount of battery drain on mobile hardware.

HDCP 2.0 encryption is likewise new and will send copy protected video through while still allowing copying for files.

The Consortium didn't give a timeframe for when the 1.1 spec would reach shipping products, as companies are only now being given access to the new version of WirelessHD. It should reach a new wave of wireless TVs and home theater receivers and now has the option of reaching many smaller devices.

It arrives just as WiGig is also coming to hardware manufacturers and could lead to multi-gigabit wireless for virtually all networking and streaming in the relatively near future.

GpsPaSsion: Hidden Easter Egg for Data Logging in Certain Models

A really neat site where all sorts of great details on inner workings of most all significant hand-held navigation devices. What may be of interest is that over the years when I was hunting down a rumor, trying to discover recoveries to bad behaviors in new products, or to monitor the day-to-day of my personal GPS interest, GpsPassion, can, IMHO, be relied on.

Here is a nugget that seems to suggest that there are some hidden RAW GPS logs within many Nuvi models. Importanty, for some models the normal update process sometimes eliminates this particular and very useful Easter Egg?

Also please BE AWARE that some of the propeller-heads doing these neat hacks of the Garmin PDNs and other manufacturer models are not always greeted well by the manufacturer to recover PROM installs gone wrong...

This Nuvi RAW DATA NUGGET story seems to be evolving .... monitor it HERE via GpsPasSion Form

UPDATED 20090725 : The hidden data logger can be activated on the nuvi 1xxx series by a long press on the "compass" on the left side of the "trip computer" screen. As usual you need a satellite lock to activate recording. UPDATED 20090429 : Forum member HalliHallo has kindly compiled a PDF document summarizing the contents of this topic click >> HERE << to view it. Note that on the 2x5 models the gps.bin file is in \debug UPDATED 20090406 : It turns out the hidden raw data logger has been there all the time, as an "easter egg" requiring a specific sequence that dcnuvi found by accident and that emmexx managed to recreate : quote: Enter "Where am I" (from the tools menu or clicking on the arrow icon on the navigation map) then click in the following order on: 1. Nearest Junction (header of Nearest Junction/Intersection) 2. Nearest Address (header of Nearest Address) 3. Nearest Address (header of Nearest Address) 4. Nearest Junction (header of Nearest Junction/Intersection) Bingo, the logging menu is there ! If you make a mistake you must exit the "Where am I" menu and start again. As a side effect the "screen shot" icon appears. [ed]It's fairly obvious but it puzzled me at first, if you don't have a fix, the menus are greyed out unless logging is already active. I noticed it survives a restart and that you can deactivate the screenshot feature in tools/settings/display. Tested so far on the nuvi 2x5, 2x5w, 550, 760, 755. UPDATED 20090316 : Raw Tracklog can be now be enabled again on the nuvi 7x0 with software v4.60, see details on page 28. REMINDER : as suggested by a forum member, this has already been discussed before, but a reminder can never hurt, flashing your GPS with an unofficial firmware version (be it to enable the raw logger or revive your dead GPSwith the "cure firmware) is something you are doing under your sole responsibility and it means you will not be able to get support from Garmin in case of a problem with your GPS in the future. TIP - ACTIVATING HIDDEN TRACK LOG FEATURE nüvi 2xx, nüvi 7xx Useful links : Decoding tool programmed by popej : >> DETAILS << Compared to nüvi 7xx built-in logger : >> DETAILS << UPDATED 20080526 - popej has added a GUI to his nuvitrak tool, details here on page 14. UPDATED 20080205 - HOW TO KEEP THE HIDDEN LOGGER WHEN UPDATING : quite by accident I realized that the "hidden track log" feature that was quickly removed by Garmin actually survives a software update, provided the logging mode was active prior to the update. z.entropic wrote a how to if you want to use that trick and popej updated his nutrak conversion tool. UPDATED 20071117 : the v3.50 update for the 2xx series REMOVES the hidden logging mode, see here for the changelog from v3.40 to v3.50. UPDATED 20071111 : hidden log feature can be activated on the 7xx series too, tested to work with FW2.20. Compared to the built-in track feature it records the raw data apparently, not the "snapped to road" data. NOTE BY GPSPASSION : track recorded in binary format, use the tool written by popej to convert to .gpx, link is below. I just updated my Nuvi 250 to 3.40 and I notice that Garmin has added the possibility to record the travel log. This features could be found in the hidden menu which could be accessed by pressing and holding on the speedometer for about 10 sec. Press next to go to the Travel log screen. From this, I could start a new log or replay an existing log. I haven't tried to connect the Nuvi to the PC to see what I could do with the log files. Does anyone has more experience with this new feature? Log screen - Logging in progress: Log entries - Play back param: Play back in progress:

Edited by - NanaimoRick on 07 Nov 2009 00:30:34