[ale] OT: GPS/nav units?

[Robert Reese]

Hi Sid,

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
On 2/25/2008 at 11:21 AM Sid Lane wrote:

>hey,
>
>am thinking about getting one of these but thought this might be a good
>group from which to solicit advice.
>
>basically I'd like to know if one brand generally better than any other, are
>the more expensive models worth the cost, etc.

That all depends on what you want to do with it, now and in the future.


>also, does anyone know about the "tinfoil hat" factor w/these?  are there
>models that can they be "flushed"/purged by the owner?  I remember seeing
>that the FBI used one against someone in a murder case and while I certainly
>have no such plans I figure in post-9/11 Soviet USA the less info the govt
>has access to the better...

Most GPS devices are one-way deals, no outbound information.  OTOH, most can and do track your movements, up to thousands (or ten-thousands or more) points, complete with time/date, altitude, vector data, etc.

Personally, I use DeLorme Streets Atlas Plus with their older (sub-meter) device.  I can choose whether to track or not.  No outbound information.  Conversely, I also use the Navigator app on my cellphone at $9.95 per month.  Absolute tracking of me but the most recent maps, though it lacks the level of precision required for GeoCaching (my latest obsession.)  Hey, it adds to the game having a 30-metre radius to search!

Robert~

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