[gentoo-user] New GPS & Gentoo?

[gentoo-user] New GPS & Gentoo?

[James]

Hello,

Time for  a new GPS. Any cool models out there
that work well with a Gentoo laptop?

Being unaware of the latest with GPS (features)
I'd be most keen to hear what works well and
what is cool for driving around with a GPS....

Maybe searching out free wireless connections for
bandwidth?


James

Re: [gentoo-user] New GPS & Gentoo?

[Iain Buchanan]

On Wed, 2010-05-19 at 22:16 +0000, James wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> Time for  a new GPS. Any cool models out there
> that work well with a Gentoo laptop?

That's like saying "Time for a new car.  Any cool models out there that
work well with petrol?"

There are a plethora of GPSs!  Do you want the typical in car voice
navigation to take you to the restaurant; or off road waypoint and path
tracking, route logging, or something else?

> Being unaware of the latest with GPS (features)
> I'd be most keen to hear what works well and
> what is cool for driving around with a GPS....

some features you might consider:
      * bluetooth for handsfree answering and dialling your mobile phone
        (if it's legal in your area)
      * map upgrades - make sure you can do it for a number of years and
        you're not stuck with this years maps forever
      * text to speech - for reading out street names ("turn left at
        Smith St" vs "turn left in 100m")
      * tunnel mode (some use accelerometers and such to keep your
        position accurate in tunnels or city centres)
      * Online searching (watch out for data fees) useful for finding
        the nearest petrol station
      * Camera with geotagging
      * expandable memory
      * mp3 / video playing capability to use up that expandable memory
      * on road / off road modes and route logging (not that you have to
        go off road, but if you want to upload your tracks to a free
        mapping service, then it needs to be royalty free, which means
        you need to turn off the "snap to nearest road" function)
      * digital compass, odometer, log book facility
      * lane guidance and 3d features (I personally don't care for them,
        but some do)
      * etc

> Maybe searching out free wireless connections for
> bandwidth?

not sure how many plain GPSs have wifi.

hth,
-- 
Iain Buchanan <iaindb at netspace dot net dot au>

One person's error is another person's data.

[gentoo-user] Re: New GPS & Gentoo?

[James]

Iain Buchanan <iaindb <at> netspace.net.au> writes:


> some features you might consider:

I got the Garmin 1490T:

>       * bluetooth 
>       * map upgrades 
>       * text to speech 
has it.

>       * tunnel mode (some use accelerometers 
Not sure.

>       * Online searching 
usb and bluetooth, should interact with PC (running Gentoo?)

>       * Camera with geotagging
I did not see this anywhere, do tell me more....

>       * expandable memory
Got it.

>       * mp3 / video
Nope, not that I'm aware of. (new to this nuvi 1490T technology.

>       * on road / off road modes and route logging (not that you have to
>         go off road, but if you want to upload your tracks to a free
>         mapping service, then it needs to be royalty free, which means
>         you need to turn off the "snap to nearest road" function)
Not sure.

>       * digital compass, odometer, log book facility
>       * lane guidance and 3d features (I personally don't care for them,
>         but some do)
got it.

> > Maybe searching out free wireless connections for
> > bandwidth?
> not sure how many plain GPSs have wifi.

I was not looking for a GPS with wifi, although that would be
keen, in lieu of pay for usage based services. I was looking for
"points of interest" on the GPS device, with a "free wifi" GPS
guide location. Surely something like this exist for mobile
laptops, or do folks run some scanning package to find free wifi
locations.  A GPS coordinate registry for free wifi is more
what I'm looking for. Very cool if it's built in or easily addable
to the Garmin 1490T.


Anyone with any suggestions of software (gentoo) packages to install
with this GPS device, are most welcome.

Thanks Iain,

James

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: New GPS & Gentoo?

[Iain Buchanan]

On Fri, 2010-05-21 at 15:42 +0000, James wrote:

> >       * Online searching 
> usb and bluetooth, should interact with PC (running Gentoo?)

maybe.  Sometimes they only tether with mobiles, but then you can make
your laptop look like a mobile by altering the device class
in /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf I think.

> >       * Camera with geotagging
> I did not see this anywhere, do tell me more....

Only seen it on the off-road or hiking models.  The inbuilt camera
automatically tags your location into the exif data (as well as date,
time, etc).  You can then upload it to the right spot on google maps
without you having to locate where you were at the time.  The photo also
comes up as an icon on the map next time you go by.

> I was not looking for a GPS with wifi, although that would be
> keen, in lieu of pay for usage based services. I was looking for
> "points of interest" on the GPS device, with a "free wifi" GPS
> guide location. Surely something like this exist for mobile
> laptops, or do folks run some scanning package to find free wifi
> locations.  A GPS coordinate registry for free wifi is more
> what I'm looking for. Very cool if it's built in or easily addable
> to the Garmin 1490T.

ah, I see.  No doubt there is free wifi POI you can download.  In my
experience, free WIFI doesn't determine where I go.  If it's free when I
get there, then good, otherwise I'm there anyway!

-- 
Iain Buchanan <iaindb at netspace dot net dot au>

Success is in the minds of Fools.
		-- William Wrenshaw, 1578