Socket Launches Bluetooth GPS Receiver
Socket Communications has announced the availability of its Bluetooth GPS Receiver, the first stand-alone wireless Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices supporting virtual COM ports. The Receiver is small and lightweight for optimum portability and allows anyone with a Bluetooth-enabled handheld computer to wirelessly receive GPS location signals within 30 feet of the Receiver. It works with a number of popular GPS map programs including Destinator, Mapopolis, Pharos and TeletypeGPS.
"Before now, adding GPS capabilities to a Pocket PC meant using an obtrusive receiver or troubling with messy cables and external antennas reducing the portability of your Pocket PC," said John Doub, director, External Bluetooth Products for Socket. "Our Bluetooth GPS Receiver provides a wireless connection to your Pocket PC, eliminating all of these inconveniences."
GPS requires clear line-of-site access to the sky. The Socket Bluetooth GPS Receiver provides 12-channel all-in-view tracking of satellites, position accuracy of 10 meters, and it supports the NMEA-0183 (v2.20) standard at 38,400 bps baud rate. It is Bluetooth 1.1 (Class 2) certified and is compatible with any Bluetooth device with a Serial Port Profile, inclusing Palm OS devices. The rechargeable embedded lithium-ion battery lasts for six hours of continuous use, or the Receiver may be plugged into the car lighter for use or recharging.
Pricing and Availability
Socket's Bluetooth GPS Receiver will be available in December through Sockets website (www.socketcom.com) and through Sockets worldwide distribution channels for a suggested retail price of U.S. $449. The Receiver comes with a three-year warranty.
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RE: Seems expensive
As I understand it, the primary delay in getting BT-RS232 to market is FCC compliance testing. EMTAC/Socket/whoever simply made it through the gate earlier than the others.
RE: Seems expensive
Pocket PC Only?
Arrggh
Palm Researcher at the University of Texas at Austin
http://www.edb.utexas.edu/petrosino/pda
RE: Pocket PC Only?
RE: Pocket PC Only?
Tony
--
With great power comes great responsiblity.
RE: Pocket PC Only?
I've been using it for a couple of weeks with my Palm Tungsten T and it works VERY well. It's a great little device and holds a charge for quite some time.
Michael T. Ashby
Director
InterPUG
http://www.interpug.com
RE: Pocket PC Only?
Look on Palm's website, and you'll find the same device sold by a different OEM for over $100 cheaper with a full Mapopolis bundle. Methinks it's the PPC getting the short end of the stick here. ;)
"Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance." - Sam Brown
RE: Pocket PC Only?
Michael T. Ashby
Director
InterPUG
http://www.interpug.com
Bluetooth GPS Solutions
http://www.gpspassion.com/Hardware/Reviews/BluetoothGPS.htm
http://www.transplantcomputing.com/ (Tungsten T info)
Florida company Ashvattha Semiconductor claims to have a single chip that combines the radio sides of GSM and GPRS mobile phone standards, a GPS satellite navigation system and a Bluetooth personal area network.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-867031.html
Trimble Introduces Bluetooth Enabled GPS Surveying System
http://www.trimble.com/news/082702c.htm
more solutions coming
"There are 2 kind of people my friend....those with wires and those without"
Need a clear access to sky?
If it could be used inside a vehicle, bundled with software, and cost aroung $300, I'll buy it and use it.
Sam
RE: Need a clear access to sky?
However, if you are still concerned about "sky view" (which is what we call it), I noticed in one of the pictures (elsewhere) of this GPS that it has provision for an external antenna. These usually have about 10 ft. of cable and a magnetic base for the car roof. It is probably available as an accessory if not already included with it.
RE: Need a clear access to sky?
Ooops... looks like a radar detector!
Don't laugh - this GPS does look a lot like a couple of models of radar detectors that have wireless display units you mount "elsewhere".
RE: Ooops... looks like a radar detector!
All I need to do now is get this and a similar looking radar detector. If I get pulled over, I present this thing to the police, spend half an hour explaining what it is and showing off the Tungsten and all is well.
Zuber
RE: Ooops... looks like a radar detector!
RE: Ooops... looks like a radar detector!
On Monday, I have to fight for my driverslicense!
Now i have to see on mondy morning the policestation to prrof, it isnt an radardedector!!!!
If I donīt (can) do this, I will get a penalty over 500 Dollars(Euros) and tey will take my driverskicence for three month!
In Germany since April 1. 2002, its strongly frobidden, just to carry an radardedector in your car!
Deosnt metter if it works, if you use it or not!
I hope, that the policeman has taken a photo of the GPS in my car that i can proof!
Otherwise, the idea, to build an radardedector in the house of the bluetooth GPS ..... I have to think about.......!
Georg
Map accuracy is crucial
Compiling maps that accurately place roads and other features of interest is an extremely expensive enterprise. I doubt that any PDA software has maps that are worth a hoot. Stick with the dedicated GPS companies like Garmin and Magellan.
Without a good software map, it doesn't matter how accurate the GPS receiver is.
RE: Map accuracy is crucial
RE: Map accuracy is crucial
Of course, these maps are made for road navigation and not off-road (for hunting and fishing). For those applications, a standard GPS may provide more options, I don't know.
That being said, since the maps that Mapopolis (http://www.mapopolis.com) provide are broken down by county, I don't see any reason why they couldn't be used for off-road activities.
Michael T. Ashby
Director
InterPUG
http://www.interpug.com
RE: Map accuracy is crucial
itīs not worth the Money!
If you really will use it, you need an additional Zigaretlighter plug 12 to 5 volt and a charger cabel for the TT or PPC! Together more or less 50 $ extra.
If you dont do this, you will have an emty palm on your next businessmeeting and an emty GPS for driving to the next meeting. Better and cheeper solution is:
http://www.agnavigation.com/m5xx.html
Georg
RE: itīs not worth the Money!
Palm gets 6 hrs on a charge and so does the GPS... if I go on a longer than 6 hr drive then I don't usually need the GPS on the whole time since I end up driving 100 miles at a time on highway X.
http://home.attbi.com/~page.jason/Pics/new_blueTT.jpg
____________________________________
My PALM OS 5 Tungsten Bluetooth Setup
It does work with Palm OS
RE: It does work with Palm OS
No setup has been necessary!
It works although with my notebook and bluetooth USB stick and navigationsoftware. Although my Palm TT and Sony NX 70 with bluetooth memory stick are working fine
Georg
Mapopolis/Help
Off topic...
I cannot get the NavCompanion to work!!!! when ever I mount it to my M515 it begins to make the palm run find searches, create new todos, and cycle through launcher tabs. Does anyone have any ideas???? (other than reloading all my data one at a time)
thanks!
RE: Mapopolis/Help
I finally got an email from Magellan support that said I cannot have an expansion card in the slot when using the NavCompanion!!!! Wrong, I find that that does not affect the situation and if that is true we have a greater issue. I could not reply tothat email so I called them. They said I had to remove (not disable) any programs that utilize the universal connector: keyboards and such. So, I realized that I had not disabled my thumbboard. I did remove them and the unit now is stable. I also reinstalled them and with them disabled the unit is stable. This just goes to prove how blind I can be when I am trying to get a new toy to work :|
I hope this helps some other poor soul!
RE: Mapopolis/Help
You may want to make sure that you do not have any keyboard drivers active (especially clip on keyboard drivers), and disable all hacks and overclocking utilities. If you did have to disable any hacks or drivers, then perform a soft reset afterwards. If it still makes your Palm go crazy, then delete the Magellan Nav Companion and Streetfinder programs from the Palm and try it again. If your Palm still goes crazy, your GPS is probably defective. If you take that same device and clip to any Palm M500, M505, or M515 (no software installation needed), and it causes the device to attempt a hotsync, that would clinch the fact that the GPS is defective. Contact their tech support again and let them know it the GPS is not working, and you'd like to exchange it for a working unit.
You should be able to clip the Palm to your Magellan without your Palm doing anything. I frequently clip mine together while at the main menu or in other programs, then I select the map program which is usually Mapopolis. I do have a keyboard driver active, but it's the PPK driver which is stable and does not cause any problems.
Short review
http://www.brighthand.com/article/BluetoothGPS
Zuber
MS/SD/MMC
As soon as such product will be avaliable (and i'm sure there'll be one soon), this unit would be a total waste of money.
RE: MS/SD/MMC
http://shop.brando.com.hk/pega-msg1.php
Then from what I have read elsewhere, it is not much use unless you live in Japan. Different systems or something. Only what I have heard, not varified it.
Besides which, unless you intend to spend your whole life using nothing but Sony devices and memory sticks, this device gives you the option of swithcing to another PDA without loosing your investment.
RE: MS/SD/MMC
Good point. As much as I like the Magellan GPS (can leave it on and running for over 10 hours nonstop), it would be a doorstop if I moved to a device with a different connector.
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Seems expensive