Technabob » GPS + Navigation

NASA To Use GPS System for Earthquake Monitoring

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:00:57 +0000

NASA has announced a plan to find earthquakes and respond more quickly to them using GPS satellites in orbit. Generally, earthquake detection is done by seismological hardware on the ground, but according NASA – that data can be difficult to capture. NASA’s answer to that problem is to use the GPS satellites in orbit along with GPS hardware on the ground in a new network called the Real-Time Earthquake Analysis for Disaster Mitigation Network.

Naturally as with anything from NASA, the system gets its own acronym. The system is called READI. Other than just being able locate the source and strength of an earthquake more quickly so emergency workers can be dispatched, NASA is also concerned about providing advance notice of tsunamis.

The tsunamis that destroyed parts of Japan and Indonesia were caused by massive offshore earthquakes. Any major earthquake that happens along the western United States has a potential of sending tsunami across the ocean where it could cause damage. As much advance notification of an incoming tsunami as possible is needed to protect lives. It’s interesting to see or GPS system used for things you might not think about such as earthquake preparedness.

Google Earth Using Homemade Images from Balloons and Kites

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:00:26 +0000

Google Earth gets the imagery it needs from multiple sources including aircraft and satellites. Google recently started adding images to its collection from other sources including less expensive balloons and kites. The new images Google Earth is using come from people like you and me using cheap systems for local aerial photography.

Google says that friends at The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science have been working to devise a method of collecting the sort of imagery that’s cheap and easy to access for all people. The kit that the Public Laboratory came up with has been dubbed the balloon mapping toolkit.

It allows anyone to take their own aerial images using a cheap point-and-shoot digital camera and a few other items. The kit would cost about $100 including the balloon, helium, line, and other items needed. The Public Laboratory also has an online tool called MapKnitter that aligns the photos into a geo-referenced image that Google Earth can use.

[via Google Lat Long Blog]

Chinese-Built Superyacht Can Be Controlled Via iPad

Range — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:00:15 +0000

I guess that in the future, everyone will control everything using their tablets. With that in mind, some enterprising manufacturers in China decided to make their latest superyacht controllable via an iPad. I bet this beats your Parrot AR.Drone any day.

The iPad can control the yacht from a distance of 164 feet. The Adastra superyacht is 140 feet long, weighs about 47 tons and can travel 4,000 nautical miles at 17 knots. Top speed is 22.5 knots. It was designed by John Shuttleworth and looks like a cross between a spaceship and a hovercraft. It took five years and cost $15 million to build. It was constructed in China by McConaghy Boats. The Adastra fits nine guests and six crew members.

The yacht was streamlined using glass and Kevlar foam and a superstructure made up of carbon fiber with a honeycomb core. It was made for Hong Kong shipping industry billionaire Anto Marden to shuttle between Indonesian islands that he owns.

[via Daily Mail via DVice]

School Looks Like the Millennium Falcon, Can’t Do the Kessel Run in Under 12 Parsecs

Conner Flynn — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:00:12 +0000

Is this evidence that Parkland High School was built upon the ancient crash site of the Millennium Falcon? Are they secretly planning a Smugglers school? Did George Lucas re-edit this institution?

Nah. It’s probably just coincidence. Or some mass conspiracy that we aren’t aware of. A Millennium Falcon school would be awesome though. You could learn to be a scoundrel. Learn how to speak Wookiee and where to hide your contraband cargo. Master the fine art of flying into a space creatures mouth, battling Mynocks on it’s insides and flying out again.

Yes, at the Millennium Falcon School of Higher Learning, you will even learn the fine art of differentiating Moons from Space stations and negotiating a price for passengers with Jedi and farm boys. Enroll right away.

[via IHeartChaos via Geeks Are Sexy]

Creepy “Girls Around Me” App Pulled from the App Store

Hazel Chua — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:00:53 +0000

People have been concerned with Facebook’s privacy settings for a long time, but a creepy app called Girls Around Me might force those involved in the industry to take heed of these concerns.

Girls Around Me worked by providing the user with a view of the women (or men) who currently happen to be in the same area as the user, all with a tap on the screen. The app pulled location information from publicly visible Facebook profiles of other users who have checked into the area using Foursquare. While the app wouldn’t let you search for specific people and find their location, it did show images of girls who were in your immediate vicinity.

It might seem like the player’s perfect app, but it’s one that could also be used in the wrongest of ways by stalkers and other unsavory types.

The app eventually raised so much public outcry that Foursquare cut off API access to the app, on the grounds that it violated a policy against aggregating information across venues. Later, the app was pulled from the App Store due to the broken API access – though Apple hasn’t commented on whether they played any part in pulling down the app.

Girls Around Me might be dead for now, but the privacy issues are still very much alive.

[via NYT via Dvice]

Google Maps 8-Bit Comes to the NES

Technabob — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 19:09:02 +0000

While we’re reasonably certain that the pranksters at Google have jumped the gun with one of their big April Fools pranks, we’re still the slightest bit hopeful that Google Maps for the Nintendo Entertainment System is a real thing. It’s almost surely not, but I still like the idea of bringing today’s software and websites to old school consoles.

According to Google, the new Google Maps for NES will ship on a cartridge, offering internet access directly from your old 8-bit console. A gigantic farm of computers in the cloud are said to transform the regular Google Maps experience into a version usable on the NES.

Here, let’s let Google Product Management Director Ken Tokusei explain it for you…

You gotta love the part where you blow into the cartridge “to fix bugs.” For now, you can play around with the 8-bit style Google Maps over at maps.google.com, then clicking on the “Quest” button in the upper right-hand corner, or by simply clicking this link. Be sure to check out Street View for more pixelated fun.

MapAttack Turns Your City Into One Huge Gameboard

Hazel Chua — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:00:41 +0000

You know how the line between the digital world and the real one sometimes fades into a blur? A clear indication of this happening is when you start thinking of coffee as power-ups and mean bosses as the evil super-villains out to get you (with some extra paperwork.)

Pushing that fine line further is MapAttack. It’s a real-time location-based game for smartphones running either iOS or Android 2.2 or later which turns your own city into a gameboard that vaguely resembles the mazes that Pac-Man has to navigate.

It works on a similar concept, too: various digital dots will be set up all over the city and it’s your role to gather up as many of them as you can to win the game. Two teams per city will be battling it out (virtually, of course) to see which side can pick up the most dots by physically heading over to the locations mapped on the map.

MapAttack was developed by a team from Portland who used the Geoloqi platform to show people what the location tracking system is capable of. MapAttack games can be started for any city and you might find one coming to the one you live in soon. You can find out more information about the game by checking out their official site. You can grab the Android version from Google Play, though the iOS version doesn’t appear to be available from the App Store. However, you can grab the source code over on the MapAttack website.

[via Pop Up City]

CityMaps Uses Brand Logos as Landmarks, Doubles as Social Commentary

Lambert Varias — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:30:21 +0000

Google’s Maps service is a wonderful evolution of the ever useful map. But sometimes street names and building numbers are still not enough cues for directions. I’m sure you’ve mentioned a nearby building or store as a landmark when you’re giving or asking for directions, simply because a building is easier to spot than a street sign. That’s… part of the idea behind CityMaps.

CityMaps still retains the names of streets, but instead of satellite pictures or building outlines, it shows you the logos or names of the establishments in the area. Aside from providing easy to spot landmarks, CityMaps also makes it easy to find or discover stores, restaurants and other places. Obviously the other motivation for CityMaps is to coordinate with businesses who want their buildings to be more visible.

CityMaps currently only has maps of New York, Austin and San Francisco, but obviously they’re going to cover more and more cities if they progress. It also has a free iOS app that you can try out. Here’s a free thousand dollar idea: HipsterCityMaps – maps that only point out the obscure stuff. Also bike routes.

[CityMaps via Fast Co. Design]

Parking Guide Chooses Your Parking Space for You

Hazel Chua — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:00:20 +0000

It’s frustrating having to drive around a parking garage and have to around in circles just to find a spot. What makes it especially irritating is if you’re already running late.

However, this nifty concept by Shih Chang-Chi, Huang Shao-Heng, and Wang Shou-Yu could solve that problem by reserving spaces on the fly.

The Parking Guide is basically a complete parking system. When you enter the lot, the parking stub that you’re handed is already printed with the location of your spot, complete with a diagram to show you where you’re supposed to go. It completely eliminates having to go around and around just waiting for someone to leave. It will also spell the end of parking space fights and battles about who saw the spot first.

The system would use sensors to detect what spaces are currently in use, and release them when cars depart.

However, there are some problems with the concept, as mentioned by several commenters over on Yanko Design. For one, it might guide would-be car thieves to where your car is if you happen to lose the parking stub along with your key. And there might be an error in the system if some people park crooked and the sensors improperly detect the availability (or unavailability) of a space. Or worse yet, if people ignore the tickets and just park in the first open space before you can get to your reserved spot.

Nerdy Day Trips Help You Get Your Geek Fix When You’re Traveling

Hazel Chua — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:00:25 +0000

When travel agencies put together tours for you, they don’t consider the geek factor of a certain landmark or place. They just consider the appeal it has to the rest of the population – and sometimes, that’s just not what you were looking for.

It’s times like these when you have to be thankful for sites like Nerdy Day Trips. It’s a site where geeky travelers like you and I can add places that rank high in terms of geek factor. For example, fans of Sherlock Holmes would obviously want to visit Reichenback Falls, where he supposedly lost his life.

The site is chockful of nerdy destinations around the globe, ranging from science shops, to planetariums to interactive artworks and a variety of odd and intriguing locales not usually visited by tour groups.

And if you’re curious about where Pontius Pilate lived, then you’re in luck, because someone’s placed a bookmark for that on the site as well.

The site was founded by Dr. Ben Goldacre back in 2010 when he was searching for more information about nerdy places he could visit in London. He got some help from a blogger, and that was when he decided to expand the project so that everyone in the world can help contribute to the compendium of geeky tourist attractions.

[via Geeksugar via Dvice]

Cup Holder Gadget Mount: Do We Really Need to Use Our iPads While Driving?

Range — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:18 +0000

While I can understand the convenience of sat navs, using an existing device like an iPhone or iPad to navigate also makes a lot of sense. The only trouble that I see is that you’ll might end up using your gadget for texting or tweeting, and your car will end up in a ditch. For those of you who don’t foresee this as a problem, then the Satechi SCH-121 Cup Holder Mount is just for you.

The device will work for all sorts of smartphones and 7 to 10-inch tablets. The cradle can rotate 360 degrees, which will allow you to use your gadgets in portrait or landscape mode. Its hinges also move 180 degrees to give you lots of additional flexibility.

On the plus side, it will get your smartphone out of your hands, which is a good thing when you’re driving. On the other hand, it means you might start using your Kindle, Nook, iPad, Playbook or Galaxy Tab to play games or watch movies while driving, which would probably be even more distracting than making a phone call or texting.

If you can resist using this thing for evil, or can insist that its for passenger use only, the Satechi SCH-121 sells for $29.99(USD) over at their website.

[via Ubergizmo]

Google Earth Smooths Out its Rough Edges

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:00:26 +0000

I remember back when Google Earth first launched. I thought it would be cool to see the planet right from my desktop and immediately went to find my house. The area where I live was so blocky and cut together from so many individual photos that it was impossible to make out any detail. If you had a similar experience, it may be time to give Google Earth another go.

Google has announced that it has updated the service to version 6.2, and with that update the photos loose their gaps and irregularities, and get a uniform appearance.

That means now when you view the Earth, instead of seeing a mosaic of square photos plastered next to each other you just get a very smooth and cohesive image.

The tech used to accomplish this evens out the pics so ones taken night aren’t so dark and ones with clouds don’t stand out. Google also added the ability to get better search results, as well as added walking, public transport, and biking directions and the ability to share maps via Google+.

You can grab the latest Google Earth installer here.

[via Google Lat Long Blog]

GM Demos Touchscreen Windows for Interactive Road Trips

Shane McGlaun — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:00:55 +0000

When it comes to road trips, any parent can tell you a few hours spent in a car with a couple kids can feel like days. Kids get bored and cranky after a while, leading to cranky parents. Now, GM is showing a cool concept that takes the windows of the car and turns them them interactive surfaces to keep the young ones (and other passengers) occupied.

The idea is that the windows would be transparent screens which could display all sorts of content from game apps for kids to navigation details for the driver or passenger. I really like the idea of navigation content being projected onto the windshield. That way you don’t need to take your eyes off the road for directions.

The apps for kids though are the ones that will likely get the most attention. The prototype apps let kids finger paint, and interact with characters who react to the speed of the vehicle. For the big kids, there are apps for navigation as well as streaming music and social networking.

GM notes that it has no current plans to use the window tech in a production vehicle, and there is no indication when this tech will leave concept and come to the real world. Hopefully it’s not that far off.

Car Compass: Helps Dudes Find Their Cars

Hazel Chua — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:00:43 +0000

So you park your car, go to the mall/watch a movie/eat at the restaurant, and have a generally good time. Then you go back to the parking lot and realize, with a sinking feeling, that you’ve forgotten where you’ve parked your ride.

You can either retrace your steps, walk around the entire parking lot or basement parking area until you find your car, or just randomly hit the unlock and lock button on your car key so you can be guided by the sound of your car being locked and unlocked as you inch closer.

Or you could just wait until AHHAPROJECT’S Car Compass concept becomes a reality. While there are already some apps on the market to help you find your car, the Car Compass is envisioned as a simple enhancement to your car’s key fob.

It works just like a regular compass, but instead of gauging what direction you’re headed, it will point you in the right direction towards your car. You can literally say goodbye to walking around aimlessly in the parking lot (or thinking that someone stole your car!) once you’ve got this thing in your hands.

[via Yanko Design]

GLaDOS Voice on Garmin GPS: Question is, Do You Trust Her?

Lambert Varias — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:35 +0000

…because the researchers at Aperture Science did, and look what happened to them. But if you’re brave enough, a Redditor has created a GLaDOS voice for Garmin Nuvi GPS devices and is sharing it free of charge. Then again, the Redditor’s name is GLaDOS_Garmin_Thrwwy. So you know, could be a trap.

The screenshot above is from the shakey-cam video below, which was uploaded by co-Redditor animatedintro, who tried out the module and (seemingly) lived to tell the tale.

Fire up a portal to Reddit or Megaupload to download the unofficial file. It’s been confirmed to work with Nuvi 40, 200, 200W, 250, 250W, 350, Garmin Mobile XT and StreetPilot c550 units. TomTom users can also endanger their lives with a similar mod.

[via Reddit]

Wander Lets You Take a Virtual World Tour Through Photos

Hazel Chua — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:00:17 +0000

A lot of people I know love to travel, but they can’t, because: a) They have to work; b) They have no time; or c) They have no money. I love to travel myself, but sadly, the first two reasons apply and sometimes the third one is applicable, too. (Like right now, since I spent a ton on Christmas presents for myself and for my family.)

But did you know that with just your iPhone, you can travel the world for free? With Wander, you can virtually visit countless locations all over the world through the magic of pictures.

Wander will have you fill out your profile first. Then you choose where you want to “go,” and the app will hook you up with another user from that country.

For a week, you can correspond through instant messages and photos, and get a glimpse into the world of someone who lives in your destination country.

And when your week-long virtual tour is over, you can start over again at another destination. Pretty neat for something that’s available for free. It’s currently available over on the iTunes App Store, and is coming to Android soon.

[via Peta Pixel]

NORAD and OnStar Help Track Santa Again

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:00:34 +0000

I really feel bad for the people that are working at OnStar answering phones Christmas Eve. OnStar and NORAD have announced that they are again teaming up to help owners of GM vehicles and the OnStar FMV mirror track Santa’s whereabouts on his trip around the world. Last year my daughter asked me, when Santa would be here enough times that I got her an app to check for herself.

She updated that app roughly 125,643 times over the course of the day. I can only imagine that with all the kids in the country with OnStar service in family vehicles calling to check on Santa that many times each and it will be a very long night for those folks at OnStar.

The OnStar tracking will start at 7am on Christmas Eve and will be available until 5am Christmas Day. “We see this holiday tradition as staying true to keeping subscribers connected in ways they never thought possible,” said Terry Inch, OnStar vice president, Sales, Marketing and Business Development. “We know many of our customers will be glad to know Santa’s location information is just one blue button press away.”

Find My Car Smart Helps You Find Your Car, Stupid

Shane McGlaun — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:30:45 +0000

I used to get so mad at people I was with who would park their car and then forget where they parked. But I can understand it in some instances. I once lost my car at a NHRA national’s event. When I arrived at the venue, I thought I was a mile from the place and it couldn’t get any worse for parking. I was so wrong, by time I left there were literally a hundred acres of cars and I thought I’d never find my ride.

If you have the issue of losing your car a lot, hit Kickstarter and check out the new Find My Car Smart app and hardware combo. Together, they will tell you where you parked, how far you are away, and how long the car was there. While there are already apps which remind you where you parked, you don’t have to remember to activate this one. The dongle works its magic by detecting when you power down the car and automatically tells your iPhone to make a notation using its GPS sensor. The Smart dongle for your car communicates with your iPhone 4S using the new low-power Bluetooth 4.0 standard. According to its maker, this is the first app to use Bluetooth 4.0.

The app is on the iTunes App Store already, but the hardware part isn’t shipping quite yet. A pledge of $25 will get you the dongle and the app, while a pledge of $30 or more you get the app, dongle, and a car USB charger to keep it powered up, in case your car doesn’t already have a USB port. Find My Car Smart expects to start shipping the first of the devices in late January 2012.

Mitsubishi EMIRAI Dashboard: When Can I Have it in My Car?

Range — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:00:36 +0000

I’m pretty excited about the design of Mitsubishi’s futuristic EMIRAI dashboard concept. Although I have a few problems with the way that they designed the new steering wheel – for me a steering wheel needs to be an oval or a complete circle – the rest of the design looks pretty cool.

Mitsubishi’s goal for the EMIRAI was to offer an intuitive dashboard and user interface, which they hope to introduce in their vehicles within the next ten years. That’s a bold statement, but it does seem possible. Some newer cars have already started to introduce funky new high-tech dashboards.

Instead of having a flat LCD panel, Mitsubishi’s design uses a curved rear-projected display, with capacitive touch sensors. The steering wheel/joystick has got 18 buttons on two keypads, and a unique shape-shifting capability which can retract buttons which are not contextually relevant. It’s also packed with sensors, including personal health monitoring, and probably will be able to update your Facebook and Twitter timeline while you drive.

If that’s not enough, the passengers in the rear seat of the car get to watch glasses-free 3D high-def video while they go for a ride.

[via DigInfo.TV via designboom]

NATO Drone Captured by Iran Using GPS Hack?

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:47:27 +0000

If you follow the news, you probably have heard or read about the NATO RQ-170 drone that was captured by Iran. When I saw the captured drone photos that were floating around and noted the drone was in one piece I wondered what happened. The Iranian scientist that helped capture the drone is apparently now bragging.

According to the scientist, the RQ-170 Sentinel drone was forced to land where the Iranians wanted it to using a GPS hack. First, they blocked the GPS signals to the drone placing it into autopilot. Then the GPS hack fooled the drone into thinking it was somewhere it wasn’t.

The drone then landed of its own accord when the Iranians told it to and they had the complete and working drone in their possession. The crazy part is that apparently the military knew that this exact hack could compromise the drone all the way back in 2003.

[via C|Net via Gizmodo]