Richard's Tech Reviews

cat GPS - tracking kitty on a map

Well it's no cat detector van - more like a cat wearing a detector.
While there are a number of dog GPS tracker units, getting one small enough for a cat is quite a challenge.

Via FriendFeed, I find this report about a cat GPS logger.

You program the intervals that the device will try to log its location via a Windows application and then strap the thing (which is about the size of a matchbox) to a backpack/harness effort on your long-suffering pet. Set them free and, when they return, display the data on a Googlemap.

Tracking your Cat with GPS - Alex Lee's Blog - October 6th, 2008

The technology being used is Mr. Lee CatTrack, a small custom, sealed SIRFstarIII GPS logger.

Just to be clear about some confusing terminology - the basic CatTrack is a standard GPS logger, it records the positions and you download them when the cat comes back (the very next day?).  There is also a CatTrack Live, which provides live positioning, using a GSM cellphone module (you provide a SIM card, then it sends SMS text messages of the position).

Mr. Lee also appears to be re-branding the device as CatTraQ, and is looking for retailers. 

The price is actually quite reasonable, for a small SIRFstarIII logger. 

Also if you really, really want to know what your cat is up to, he makes a CatCam.

Geolocation: 7 things you should know

The latest in the EDUCAUSE "7 Things You Should Know" is the topic of geolocation.

Geolocation, also called geotagging, is the practice of associating a digital resource with a physical location. Location information is typically given in terms of latitude and longitude coordinates, which can pinpoint any place on the planet with a high degree of precision. If a photographer includes the coordinates for where a picture was taken, for instance, the value of the photograph is increased, for both the photographer and others who have access to the photo and its metadata.

7 things you should know about... Geolocation (PDF)

For more info from EDUCAUSE, see

http://connect.educause.edu/Library/ELI/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAbout/47212

NOTE: Cross-posted to my Science Library blog.

GPS accuracy of N82 and P6000 for geotagging

These screenshots compare the locations of photos that were automatically geotagged using a Nokia N82 (left) and a Nikon P6000 (right).  Both of these cameras have built-in GPS, so they record the position directly into the photo immediately.  As you can see, the locations that result are pretty similar.  Both of them have errors, but different errors.  The N82 seems to do better in urban canyon, but the P6000 overall did better.

citizen cartography

Odds are you've never heard of Virender Ajmani.

But there is a good chance you've used one of his maps.

By day, Mr. Ajmani is a soft-spoken software developer living a quiet life with his wife and two kids in Detroit.

By night, he is one of the world's most prolific and influential map-makers, churning out geographic guides to the American election, state-by-state health insurance stats or the United States' hardest-drinking cities.

Googled - Globe and Mail - October 3, 2008

TVA Test JE - GPS in the forest

The French show JE has a test segment, in the latest one they had a hiking club compare three handheld GPSes.

Contrairement à la boussole, en forêt, le GPS va vous informer des obstacles que vous allez rencontrer : lac, ruisseau, etc. Et il n'est pas très difficile à utiliser.

The video is available at

http://medias.tva.ca/emissions/je/tests/26406.wmv