I'd rather have a stronger dollar anyway!

NEW YORK AP - Navigational-device maker Garmin Ltd. said Wednesday fiscal third-quarter profit fell nearly 12 percent, as strong revenue growth was offset by the dollar's strength against the euro.

Profit for the quarter ended Sept. 27 fell to $171.2 million, or 82 cents per share, from $193.5 million, or 88 cents per share. Excluding foreign-currency exchange, or the detrimental effect of the stronger dollar, net income would have been 87 cents per share.

Revenue rose 19 percent to $870.4 million from $728.7 million.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected a profit of 84 cents per share on revenue of $865.6 million.

Revenue in the Cayman Islands-based company's automotive and mobile segment grew 21 percent to $626 million, while revenue in its outdoor and fitness segment grew 35 percent to $119 million.

Revenue in Europe grew 9 percent to $247 million while Asian revenue fell 21 percent to $38 million.

The company said it is taking into account the weakening economic environment and plans to reduce inventory by $150 million by the end of the year. The company also lowered its full-year guidance due to weakening economic conditions and the stronger dollar.

Having Trouble Deciding which nuvi "T" series is for you?

Garmin’s 7X5 series is the next of the 6 months life span of nuvi 700 series and includes four GPS systems (Garmin Nuvi 755T, 765T, 775T and 785T) with the T at the end signifying that they all come with lifetime traffic (the unit, not yours!). The pocket-size design of the nuvi is kept but a bit more stylish (if that's possible).

Here are the main differences in the models:

Garmin nuvi 755T – North American Maps (City Navigator North America NT 2008).
Garmin nuvi 765T – Hands-free calling with Bluetooth wireless technology.
Garmin nuvi 775T – Preloaded transatlantic maps (City Navigator NT for North America and Europe – full coverage).
Garmin nuvi 785T – MSN Traffic.

Here are some goodies that Garmin won't tell you about:

Digital elevation maps show you shaded terrain contours at zoom levels of five miles and above.

Auto time zone: nüvi will automatically adjust your time zone while navigating

Route planning with up to 10 saved routes: can automatically arrange destinations to minimize trip distance

Speed limit indicator: unit displays speed limits for highways and interstates

Send-to travel tool that enables users to search locations from the convenience of their computer through Google Maps or MapQuest.com, send and save them to their Garmin device, and navigate to the destination.

High-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver for improved performance and reception.

All are in Stock at GPS World Supply! We'll buy your old GPS too and apply it to the purchase of the new one!

More consumers favoring GPS over road maps

By Heather Baughman

There are no passengers in the car, yet while traveling down the road a familiar voice chimes in and says, "Turn left in 200 feet." The popularity of global positioning systems, or GPS, is growing, with people opting for these small electronic devices over a traditional road map.

Whether it's part of a new vehicle package or an add-on, more and more people are making GPS or other navigation systems a part of their lives.

Heather Grennay, salesman at Beckman Chevrolet Cadillac, said she noticed the popularity of navigation systems increasing two to three years ago. Today, with all 2007 and newer General Motors vehicles equipped with a standard one-year, turn-by-turn OnStar navigation system, more and more people are learning that they no longer need to pull out their bulky maps or seek MapQuest's advice before hitting the road.

"It's easy to use. All you have to do is push a button and tell OnStar where you want to go," Grennay said.

Terry Walter, salesman at Snyder Chevrolet in Napoleon, said GPS navigation is the wave of the future. "Anytime you can get help by just pushing a button, it's good news," he said, adding that the OnStar and in-dash GPS systems are "a lot easier than stopping for directions."

Walter said navigation systems are also popular with older drivers who may be unfamiliar with new roads. Instead of picking up a cell phone to ask for directions, people can now rely on navigation systems to tell them if they're on track -- or off track, in which case the narrator will tell the driver how to get back on course.

For those who want to take their navigation system a step farther, GM offers an in-dash navigation screen that provides a visual map, along with audio turn-by-turn directions.

It's been Grennay's experience that people shopping for vehicles with the in-dash navigation system will spend the extra money to purchase these units.

She said for every 10 Suburbans that she sells, at least one will be equipped with the navigation system.

For vehicles without OnStar or other factory-installed GPS units, portable units are available -- and quite popular.

Dave Pigman, manager of Charlie's Car Care, Defiance, said he's been getting more and more calls over the past few months for GPS units, which the business sells and installs.

"Basically, everyone is buying them," Pigman said, "from truck drivers to business people to the regular person. Just about everybody is buying them."

The small, pocket-size devices are a popular gizmo to have on hand when trying to navigate unfamiliar territory. "They're a lot easier than reading a map," Pigman said, noting that GPS units tell drivers exactly where they need to go to get to their desired destination.

As long as the driver successfully inputs their starting point and destination, their GPS unit will tell them where their hotel, appointment or friend's house is located. "They're real informative," he said.

Police say GPS device thefts on rise

By Scott J. Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER— Global Positioning Systems, which help people find where they are going, are continuing to disappear at an alarming rate in the city.

More than 70 of the GPS devices have been reported stolen from the beginning of the year through June 9, according to police statistics, and officials see no signs of the epidemic slowing.

“The trend is increasing as the popularity of the devices has grown,” said police Sgt. Kerry F. Hazelhurst, the department spokesman. “We anticipate the theft of more if people continue to be lax with the security of their devices.”


For systems not part of a vehicle, police recommend people take the devices inside with them, instead of leaving them mounted in the cars or trucks. The devices range in cost from $250 to $1,000.

“We’re trying to educate people who own these devices to put them out of plain view when not driving,” the sergeant said. “Many people put them on the dashboard in plain view, which invites people to take them.”

Thieves are not taking the devices to the area pawn shops and instead are most likely selling them on the streets or simply buying a mounting unit and using the GPS devices themselves, Sgt. Hazelhurst said. The devices are not equipped with a tracking system, he said.

“They have a street value to them,” he said. “We need to be getting the word out to the public that they must be vigilant in securing these devices when they are not in use.”

The Community Impact Division is patrolling problem areas where several thefts have been reported. About half of the thefts have been reported in the downtown area.

“It doesn’t appear to be one group; it appears to be a series of random incidents,” Sgt. Hazelhurst said.

Statistics show the thefts happen at all times during the day, but later in the day the thefts tend to occur in the Shrewsbury Street area, an area packed with restaurants and patrons during the evening hours.

Don't fence me in: GPS cows

By: Richard Macey

It'S the cry of so many farmers when city folk visit: "Shut the bloody gate".

After three years of research, Australian scientists have come up with a solution for keeping animals in a virtual fence.

"It's like an electric fence, except it's invisible," Andrew Fisher, leader of a research team at the CSIRO's Livestock Industries division at Armidale, NSW, said yesterday.

A farmer would create the virtual fence by travelling to key points on the proposed boundary and pushing buttons on a hand-held device, logging each position into a computer linked to a satellite global positioning system (GPS). All livestock to be fenced in would wear battery-powered collars around their necks.

If a cow, for example, wandered within a metre or two of the virtual fence the collar, fitted with a GPS chip, would emit a warning hum. If the cow ignored the sound and crossed the line it would receive a mild electric shock, less powerful than those used by electric fences.

But Dr Fisher said their experiments showed that cattle took less than an hour to learn to back off when they heard the warning hum. He expected sheep would be equally easy to train.

He argued the technology, observed by independent animal welfare and ethics experts, was also humane.

After monitoring the heart rates and hormone levels of cattle involved in the experiments, the scientists concluded that the stresses were no greater than those of routine farm life.

While the virtual fence was still at the prototype stage, and commercial versions were probably five to 10 years away, Dr Fisher saw the day when the technology would bring significant labour savings to farmers, especially on properties where livestock had to be frequently rotated from pasture to pasture.

But he doubted that conventional rural fences would vanish altogether. "Farms will always need to have an outer boundary," he said.

Future versions of the technology, developed jointly with the CSIRO's Brisbane Information and Communications Centre, would include much smaller animal collars and would allow farmers to plot their borders on computers from the comfort of home.

China Poses Threat to GPS, Backup System at the Ready

By Allan Holmes, Tech Insider.com

China now has the capability to jam the Global Positioning System, widely used by both the military to, say, guide precision weapons and by civilians to, for example, provide timing for telecom networks, according to the annual Defense Department report on “Military Power of the People’s Republic of China” submitted to Congress May 25.

According to the report, China acquired jammers from the Ukraine in the late 1990s, which are capable of jamming GPS, and since then the country has probably developed its own jammers.

That is one reason why in January the departments of Homeland Security and Transportation asked for public comments on whether an updated version of the terrestrial Loran (Long Range Navigation) system, which was first deployed in World War II, be used as a GPS backup system.

Loran receivers can determine their location by computing the time intervals between signals received from three or more transmitters, while enhanced Loran (e-Loran) provides more precise signals through the use of an added data channel. The Coast Guard (part of Homeland Security) says because Loran and e-Loran transmitters use high-powered transmitters and low-frequency signals compared with the low-power and high-frequency signals for GPS, both Loran systems are less susceptible to jamming or interruption than GPS.

Besides jamming, GPS signals can be knocked out by solar flares, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported in April.

Zachariah Conover, president and chief executive officer of CrossRate Technology, which has developed an integrated GPS/Loran receiver, said the dual threats posed by solar flares and jamming to GPS illustrate the need for e-Loran. Conover, who worked on Loran while in the Coast Guard, said he has learned Homeland Security and Transportation departments have “accepted the recommendation that e-Loran be continued as the long-term backup to GPS.”

This decision has not been announced publicly, Conover said, because the departments are bickering over who will pay for build-out and operation of the e-Loran system. The Coast Guard has spent $160 million to modernize Loran since 1997, and Conover said the funding requirements are minimal, about $30 million a year to operate e-Loran.

“The dickering over whose budget the system goes into is holding up a policy decision that everyone knows needs to be made. And this lack of a decision is wasting both time and money and is keeping the American taxpayer from experiencing the benefits of the e-Loran system while leaving them susceptible to GPS outages,” Conover said.

The United Kingdom has no intention of waiting to deploy its own e-Loran capabilities, which it considers essential as a back up to GPS. The General Lighthouse Authorities (GLA) of the United Kingdom and Ireland – which operate aids to navigation systems and lighthouses – announced May 31 that they awarded a 15-year contract to develop a state of the art e-Loran system to serve the two countries.

The GLA said the e-Loran system will complement GPS and insure users will be able to obtain electronic positioning, navigation and timing signals when satellite service is disrupted. The e-Loran contract award dovetails with the long-term GLA Radio Navigation Plan released May 29, which states that e-Loran is the only viable candidate to provide a backup for GPS.

DELORME CONTINUES TO EXPAND GPS MARKET, WITH NEW $69.95 PRICE ON EARTHMATE GPS FOR LAPTOPS

YARMOUTH, Maine ― DeLorme, the company that pioneered GPS for laptops and PDAs, announced today it has launched updated Street Atlas USA 2008 DVD software with the Earthmate GPS LT-20 at the new low price of only $69.95.

The Earthmate GPS LT-20 features cutting-edge GPS technologies from STMicroelectronics and DeLorme, with fast satellite acquisition times and superior performance when dealing with reflected GPS signals ― a frequent occurrence in urban settings.

The updated Street Atlas USA 2008 DVD software includes extensive revisions to its street-level detail for the United States and Canada and, for the first time, highways and major roads for Mexico.

Breakthrough New Low Price Expands the Market

The combination of the DeLorme Earthmate GPS LT-20 and the included Street Atlas USA 2008 software means anyone with a laptop PC can enjoy the benefits of GPS wherever they travel in the U.S., Canada, and now Mexico, too.

"By continuously driving down costs and expanding sales through mass distribution we have been able to lower our price points for laptop GPS without compromising quality," said Caleb Mason, DeLorme Director of Marketing. "Laptop GPS offers many advantages over other types, with the large screen providing easy-to-see, wide geographic context. With laptops continuing to replace desktops, we can offer more and more consumers an affordable yet powerful GPS solution to help plan trips and GPS navigate without getting lost."

Ships with Updated DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2008 DVD Software

The new lower-priced Earthmate GPS LT-20 ships with updated Street Atlas USA 2008 DVD software, just in time for the busy summer travel season. Using the DeLorme system is simple. After installing Street Atlas USA 2008 DVD on their laptop PC, users can create driving routes automatically, locate ideal overnight stops, find lodgings, food, and attractions; and devise itineraries, all in advance.

In-vehicle, the Earthmate can be secured next to the windshield. Its five-foot cable is more than ample even in motor coaches and big rig trucks. With the software running, the Earthmate automatically begins tracking on pre-planned routes. Large, easy-to-read Next-Turn and Turn-After arrows and directions appear below the large map. Voice prompts announce upcoming turns, speaking the precise name of the road or exit. No extra subscription charges apply, nor is Internet access required. Everything needed is included in the Earthmate package.

"At the new low price of only $69.95, we hope people will buy an Earthmate to bring on their next trip. The product can be found at all major computer stores, making it easy to buy as a travel impulse item. By planning better and not wasting time getting lost, it seems likely the Earthmate will pay itself back on one long trip in gas savings alone," said Mason.

Market-Leading GPS Capabilities

The software's GPS capabilities are unsurpassed. In fact, DeLorme led the way with features such as voice-guided navigation that calls out street names and exit numbers, provides spoken responses to questions or commands; automatic back-on-track routing (in case of detours or unplanned side trips), and GPS Radar, to locate upcoming places of interest (fuel, lodging, restaurants, businesses) from a driver's real time position.

Street Atlas USA 2008 DVD also includes four million updated places of interest including many chains researched by DeLorme's in-house team of cartographers. DeLorme is one of a handful of mapmakers who still produce their own maps for GPS products, which means many customer revisions have been made as well as significant updates to streets and highways across the U.S., Canada, and now Mexico. The inclusion of major roads for Mexico means routes created in the U.S. and/or Canada can also automatically connect to the adjoining infrastructure within Mexico.

Available Aerial Imagery

Users can also download available aerial imagery of the U.S. to their laptops, PDAs, or supported phones running either Palm OS or Pocket PC. The imagery can be used for real-time GPS tracking, and is ideal for identifying landmarks, determining land use (e.g., residential, agricultural, or open space), and much more.

Street Atlas USA 2008 DVD comes with a free application for installing the software, with full routing and GPS navigation capabilities, plus aerial imagery,, on supported Palm OS and Pocket PC PDAs and touch screen phones.

The Earthmate GPS LT-20 is available wherever electronics and software are sold. It also can be ordered from DeLorme at www.delorme.com, or by phone at 800-561-5105. The suggested retail price is $69.95, with updated Street Atlas USA 2008 DVD software included. The software is also available by itself at most of the same locations, with a suggested retail of $39.95.

A higher-end version of the software, Street Atlas USA 2008 Plus DVD, retails at $59.95. It offers additional features including data importing and geo-locating, large-format printing, and additional editing tools.

Street Eagle GPS tracker is watching you, always

No teenager wants to be on the business end of StreetEagle GPS Tracker, but beware — this technology is here and it's becoming more mainstream. Once the StreetEagle tracker is installed in your vehicle, it can easily be set to send an e-mail or text alerts about the car's travels in 2-minute intervals. These alerts will let your parents know whenever the vehicle moves and if it's going too fast. How thoughtful of it.

Three levels of service are available, creating complete charts of exact speed, routes and parking time. You can also set the tracker to send an alert if the car enters a specific area — like, say, someone's boyfriend's house or the mall. The system even lets parents lock or unlock doors remotely, and the ignition can be immobilized, effectively grounding you. The Big Brother tech has a small-business application as well: keeping delivery drivers on their routes and on time. — Ken Sander

GPS moves to graffiti tracking

By Mark Raby

Los Angeles (CA) - Global positioning systems have been used to track convicts and catch car thiefs, and now they're being put to the test to crack down on graffiti bandits.


A new California-based company called Graffiti Tracker is using GPS technology to keep records of graffiti locations. Offenders like street gangs often strike multiple times, using the same artwork. Using Graffiti Tracker's system, the police can then map all locations a specific person or group has "tagged".

Using the same kind of methods they use for serial killers, police can then predict where the graffiti artists are headed next, and when caught can bring evidence against them for past offenses.

In Eastern Los Angeles, Pico Rivera officials said they have made over 60 arrests in the past nine months, after buying the Graffiti Tracker system, reports Reuters.

As a result, the city says it is making an impact on street gangs. "The word is fast getting out there that this is not a good place to tag because they are going to get you," said police department spokesman Bob Spencer.

Garmin(R) Publishes API Library and Opens Communication Between Third Party Websites and Garmin GPS Devices

OLATHE, Kan., May 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. , today announced the Garmin Developer website -- a developer zone dedicated to software developers and content providers who want to make their website, applications and data content compatible with Garmin navigation systems. The Garmin Developer website provides both free and licensed Garmin resources and a library of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), toolkits and web services offering six core products: Garmin Communicator Plugin, MotionBased(TM) Web Services, Content Toolkit, Garmin PeerPoint(TM) Messaging System, Garmin LBS Toolkit(TM) and Fleet Management Interface. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061026/CGTH082LOGO ) "Until recently, third party websites have been unable to communicate easily with Garmin devices," said Charles Morse, Garmin's director of mobile and PND marketing. "This announcement is a win-win for developers and Garmin and it paves the way for more innovative applications. By expanding our developer applications and allowing programmers to integrate Garmin's leading-edge technology into their sites, we are making it easier for third party content providers to leverage the huge community of Garmin devices by providing tools that will allow them to communicate directly with Garmin systems. This will create new markets for the programmer's content and services, while generating a grassroots movement that will spread Garmin's name and technology to consumers through third party websites and content distribution channels."

The Garmin Communicator Plugin API is a browser plugin and JavaScript support code that allows developers to transfer location data -- such as waypoints, track logs, maps and points of interest (POIs) -- to and from a website and Garmin device. The benefit of this service to the retail consumer is that the API will simplify loading location data to a Garmin GPS. For example, on MotionBased.com, customers can quickly upload their activities (track logs) from the GPS. The cross-browser, and soon the cross-platform plugin, provide a consistent experience for MotionBased customers. Geocaching.com also integrates the plugin so that users can easily transfer selected geocaches (waypoints) to their Garmin device by clicking a new Garmin icon on the Geocaching.com website.

"The Garmin Communicator Plugin API has made it possible to transfer cache listings to a Garmin device directly from a web page," said Jeremy Irish, Groundspeak's president and co-founder. "This plugin drastically simplifies the process and saves time that is better spent on the trail."

Also available in Garmin Developer is the Content Toolkit, which lets developers compile secure POIs for Garmin GPS devices. Developers can then market this content to customers of Garmin products, creating an entirely new ecosystem of content, devices and customers who are eager to expand the capability of their GPS device. Examples of POIs that could be developed are locations with free wi-fi access, historic marker sites or safety camera locations. Future versions of the Content Toolkit are expected to include routes and travel guide information.

With the PeerPoint Messaging System, developers can tap into Garmin's location message format and send precise latitude and longitude information to phones running the Garmin Mobile XT application. This published SMS interface is expected to be highly sought after by location-based websites, fleet management systems, sales management applications or any other application that needs to integrate remote destination sending and navigation. The individual who receives the location message will be able to save, view or route directly to the specified location with Garmin's turn-by-turn directions. Also available for smartphones, Garmin Mobile Smartphone SDKs provides mobile applications running on Windows Mobile or Palm OS devices with access to GPS information, interactive maps and intelligent routing including live traffic conditions. With these tools, developers can easily create LBS solutions for a wide range of Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices that are often already in use by enterprise customers.

Thanks to the Garmin Location-Based Services (LBS) Toolkit, developers can add location-based services to any Java-based mobile phone application. The LBS Toolkit incorporates Garmin's proven navigation API, local search, real-time content delivery services and mobile advertising delivery services into one powerful platform. This service was originally launched in late-2006 and several third parties have already taken advantage of the capability. Xora and Agilis, leading GPS tracking and mobile resource management software providers, were the launch customers for the Garmin LBS Toolkit. They use Garmin's navigation API for delivering turn-by-turn navigation to mobile workers, thus further improving their productivity.

The Garmin Fleet Management Interface enables fleet tracking, messaging, dispatch and navigation directly on Garmin's portable navigation devices, such as the StreetPilot, nuvi and zumo series. Utilizing third party sensor and communication devices, companies can not only track vital GPS information like vehicle location, speed and direction of travel, distance traveled, elapsed time, but also fuel status, idle times, number of stops, cargo door access, cargo temperature, and battery and thermostat levels. The Fleet Management Interface also enables direct-to-driver communication via text messaging, as well as instant re-routing with "new destination" message prompts.

Garmin is also announcing the MotionBased Web Services API providing developers access to the same rich GPS content that MotionBased.com customers enjoy. This new service will enable third-party websites to store, manipulate and display Garmin GPS data with little or no development. The API will be available for testing in the summer of 2007 and will compliment the Communicator Plugin API.

Garmin Developer was announced in conjunction with the 2007 Where 2.0 conference in San Jose, California, and will be on display at the Garmin booth (#3). Additional information about these applications and the Garmin Developer website is also available at http://developer.garmin.com/ . Garmin International Inc. is a member of the Garmin Ltd. group of companies, which designs and manufactures navigation, communication and information devices -- most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin is a leader in the general aviation and consumer GPS markets and its products serve aviation, marine, outdoor recreation, automotive, wireless and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at http://www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin, MotionBased, StreetPilot and nuvi are registered trademarks and zumo, Garmin PeerPoint Messaging System, Garmin Mobile XT and Garmin LBS Toolkit are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Anticipated product availability dates are based on management's current expectations and are not guaranteed. Groundspeak Inc. operates geocaching.com, and the trademarks associated with Groundspeak and that site are the exclusive property of Groundspeak Inc. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Notice on forward-looking statements:

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. All statements regarding the company's future product introductions and expected product availability dates are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2006 filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 000-31983). A copy of Garmin's Form 10-K can be downloaded at http://www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html . No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Garmin International Inc.

Radar Detection, Laser Defense Converge with GPS

From: TelematicsJournal.com

Cheetah Advanced Technologies Ltd, the Scottish manufacturer of GPS camera location devices and specialist speed camera detection products, has developed a unique OEM hardware solution which enables the standard radar detectors and laser systems from industry manufacturers like Beltronics, Escort, Valentine Research, Blinder, Target Automotive, Laser Pro Park, AntiLaser, Laser Defender and Lidatek to integrate with GPS solutions.

The first of a new generation of GPS products to use the technology is Cheetah’s own brand new GPS mirror, a SiRF Star III driver safety system designed to make users more aware of their speed, surroundings and road hazards, like accident blackspots, speed cameras and red light cameras. This wide angle mirror unit simply clips over the car’s existing rear view mirror and helps to eliminate blind spots as well as letting drivers keep an eye on both the traffic and the kids in the back seat at the same time. New camera locations are easily downloaded from the company’s website, Speedcheetah.com, and database coverage includes the whole of the USA and the UK, with more countries across Europe and Australia being added later in the year. There are no ongoing subscription charges or download fees for database downloads.

The second product to make use of the technology will be ActiveStealth, a speed camera software program for Windows Mobile devices which was released last weekend as a stand-alone GPS software product. Users will be able to use it to integrate detectors and jammers with Pocket PCs when Cheetah’s SMARTnode GPS hub is released later in 2007. The SMARTnode GPS hub is a 3-into-1 solution which combines a SiRF Star III Bluetooth GPS receiver, with a wireless hub and Bluetooth converter which enables non-Bluetooth detectors to communicate with Bluetooth enabled devices.

The company is also expected to release details of a developer program later in the year, allowing third party software houses to use the new OEM hardware solution to integrate detectors and laser systems with car computers.

2-Way G.P.S.: Psst! Here I Am, 2 Miles West of Your Position

By: By IVAN BERGER, New York Times




Any satellite mapping system can tell you where you are. With a Garmin Rino two-way radio, you can tell other Rino users where you are — and then show them.


Beam your position or a previously stored one to any Rino that is using the same code and channel, and your location will show on the other Rino’s color map display. You can signal the other Rinos in your group to send their positions automatically. Radio range for transmitting location, voice or text messages is up to two miles using Family Radio Service channels and up to 14 miles using General Mobile Radio Service frequencies.

When they go on sale next month through outdoor, marine and electronics dealers, the Rino 520HCx will be $450, and the 530HCx, with built-in altimeter, weather-alert radio and electronic compass, will be $500. Maps showing the highways and cities of North and South America are built in and can be supplemented with optional topographic, street or marine maps on memory cards.

With new, high-sensitivity G.P.S. receivers, the Rino 520HCx and 530HCx should know their locations even in canyons or in heavy cover — precisely the places where you’d be hard to find.