Jalopnik: Gps

Supreme Court Says Cops Can't GPS Track Your Car Without Warrant

Patrick Frawley — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST

The Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that because of Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure, police must obtain a valid warrant before using a GPS device to track a suspect for an extended period of time. More »

Things to do before hitting the road for the holiday

Alan Henry — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:15:00 EST

If your travel plans for Thanksgiving involve sitting behind the wheel for a few hours until you get to your destination, there are still a few things you should do before you leave to make sure that you get to your destination quickly and safely. More »

Bert and Ernie now available for your TomTom: "Turn right onto Sesame Street"

Andrew Liszewski — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:50:00 EST

Move over mustaches, it looks like November belongs to the Muppets this year. They've got a new movie coming out, there's an online movement to have them host the Oscars, and now TomTom has announced a series of Sesame Street voices, starting with Bert and Ernie. More »

Why Does This Car's GPS Mock French People?

Sam Biddle — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EDT

Stereotypes: vicious, unfair, and hurtful. And perpetrated by malicious onboard guidance systems like this one, which assumes you're a Francophone just because you make the nasally laugh-moan of a Frenchman cliché. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, voiture vilain. More »

Supreme Court will decide when feds can follow you with GPS

Justin Hyde — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EDT

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case involving a man tracked by the FBI without a warrant for a month with a GPS unit mounted on his car. Lower courts ruled against the feds, but there's one round left. More »

TomTom to stop ratting out speeders

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:45:00 EDT

The folks at TomTom had good intentions when they shared anonymous traffic data with the Dutch government. They'll use it for improving roads and light timing! Oh, they used it for installing speed cameras? NO MORE DATA FOR YOU! More »

Why GPS Real-Time Traffic Isn't Always Real Time

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:50:00 EDT

A discussion about why GPS "real-time" traffic rarely occurs in real time. More »

GPS Tracking Without a Warrant Is Now Legal

Ray Wert — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:20:00 EDT

Police can now track your car's GPS without needing a warrant. The net of social control just widened further. [Slashdot] More »

GPS Angel Warns Of Devilish Red Light Cameras

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EDT

The GPS Angel is designed to warn drivers of red light and speed cameras using an on-board database and GPS. It's a great device... if you don't have an iPhone or other smart phone with a data plan. More »

Ex-Dealership Employee Uses Internet To Disable 100 Cars

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:15:00 EDT

Omar Ramos-Lopez was fired from his job at a Texas car dealership, so he got even. All of the company's cars was equipped with an ignition interrupter controlled over the internet, so he went online and remotely disabled them. More »

Ten Things Your Kids Will Never Experience In A New Car

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EDT

Cars are a part of American culture. We grow up in them, live in them, love them, but like the culture they reflect, cars change over time. Here's ten things you experienced your kids probably won't. More »

BBG’s Katayama: “GPS Made Me Lazier, Stupider, Angrier And A Worse Driver”

Peter Orosz — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EDT

BBG’s Katayama: “GPS Made Me Lazier, Stupider, Angrier And A Worse Driver”" alt="Click here to read BBG’s Katayama: “GPS Made Me Lazier, Stupider, Angrier And A Worse Driver”" src="http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/images/12/2009/07/GPS_Babe.jpg"/>

Is technology making imbeciles of us all? Boing Boing Gadgets’ Lisa Katayama argues chronic GPS usage has put her in touch with her inner Pinky rather than helping her be a better driver. More »

Survey: Sat-Nav Systems Make Drivers 12% More Fuel Efficient

Ray Wert — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT

A recent survey from social science research firm NuStats, finds drivers using sat-nav systems use 12% less fuel than GPS-less motorists. Also, they were found to be 24% less "manly." More »

Google Latitude + Plane, Train, Automobile = DIY Amazing Race

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:30:00 EDT

Google Maps' new Latitude feature allows you to track your friends using GPS-equipped phones. Perfect for meeting for a drink. Also, as Garage419 found, perfect for a hi-tech race by train, plane and Dodge Challenger. More »

Nissan Developing Wrong Way, Pedestrian Collision Alert Technology

Wes Siler — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST

Nissan is developing Darwin-defying in-car technology capable of detecting when old people and bad drivers head the wrong way down highway on-ramps. The system could also detect impending collisions with cell phone-carrying pedestrians. More »

GPS Attempts To Kill Norwegian Tourists In Brazil

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:10:00 EST

A trio of Norwegian men were en route to the airport in their rental car when the vehicle's GPS took them off the highway and into a Rio de Janeiro slum plagued by gang violence. More »

Participate In Federally-Funded Road Survey, Make $895

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST

It's no surprise people are driving less because of the financiapocalypse, leaving the US Department of Transportation rightly worried the Federal Highway Trust Fund could continue to dry up. The solution? A study, of course. We've found a federally-funded study at the University of Iowa looking to fit GPS tracking units onto participant's cars to determine if a pay-per-mile system would be more feasible than the current gas tax. Here's the fun part — if you live in one of the six test cities and you're chosen to participate in the eight-month study, you'll receive $895. Sounds like reasonable compensation for letting Big Brother know your every move. And hey, we can all use the dough at the moment, can't we? Hit the jump to see if you qualify. More »

Helicopter Parents Rejoice: $200 Mini GPS Remote Tracking Device Now Available At NAPA

Andrew Stoy — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:40:00 EDT

~~Stalkers~~ Parents have just gained a potent new weapon in their electronic babysitting arsenal, or at least a new outlet at which to purchase it. Your local NAPA auto parts store will soon be stocking the GPS Tracking Key, a cell-phone sized, battery-powered GPS tracking device with a built-in data recorder. Just use the convenient magnetic base to attach the Tracking Key to the vehicle in question, allow the unsuspecting driver to hit the road, then retrieve the device upon his or her return. The trip data can then be downloaded and overlaid with maps, satellite data and text information, including distance traveled, speeds achieved, the addresses where stops were made, and the duration of the stops. More »

TomTom Go x40 LIVE Lets Users Inform Each Other Of Speed Traps, Uses Cell Phone Position Data to Map Traffic

Wes Siler — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:30:00 EDT

The new TomTom Go x40 LIVE series of GPS navigation units allows users to update maps on the fly with the positions of police speed traps and traffic cameras, thus alerting other TomTom users in the area of their presence. Also stored within the system is historical travel time data for every road by day of the week, in five-minute intervals. To calculate a traffic-free route, the TomTom compares these figures to real-time anonymous cell phone movements. More »

Dash Express GPS Navigation Could Be Commuter's Dream

Travis Hudson — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EDT

I've had the chance to spend a couple of weeks with the Dash Express GPS unit that most notably features two-way communication via Wi-Fi and GPRS for live active traffic data, Yahoo Local search instead of the standard list of points of interest and a robust customizable applications system. It was built to be the "commuter's navigation unit." More »

iPhone GPS Worse Than Expected

Travis Hudson — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:20:00 EDT

We apologize for getting your hopes up about the iPhone's GPS capabilities, because with the release just days away, the first reviews of the device are pouring in and there's some bad news about the GPS functionality. Or lack thereof. David Pogue of The New York Times points out that the iPhone 2.0, while it still has real GPS and not the location-based-shenanigans of its predecessor, is not ready to compete with the big boys of the navigation world. More »

Passport Radar Detector Includes GPS With Speed Camera Database

Travis Hudson — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:40:00 EDT

Despite the fact that slowing down is still one of the best ways to save gas, people, us included, continue to enjoy a little extra speed courtesy of the radar detector. The latest model from Passport, the 9500ix, includes some unique features to compensate for the latest speed-busting technology: integrated GPS and a database of known speed cameras, speed traps and red light cameras. But that's not all. More »

Mio Joins The Cellphone-Enabled GPS Club

Travis Hudson — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EDT

Recently passing through the ringer at the Federal Communications Commission was the Mio Moov 380. When Mio isn't putting tons of research and development funding into "vintage" GPS devices, the company is following Garmin, Magellan and Dash by integrating cellular abilities into GPS navigation devices. But the included SIM slot in the Moov 380 is what makes it stand apart from other GPS navigation/cellular units: The Mio can utilize the cell line you already pay for. More »

Car Insurance Companies Have Always Been At War With High Prices

Mark Arnold — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EDT

A few of the big insurance companies (Progressive, we're looking at you) have been experimenting with high-tech on-board devices to monitor their customer's driving habits for a few years now. But telematics have finally entered the picture, allowing on-the-fly uploading of driver information, vs the previous systems which required drivers to manually upload their data. A majority of drivers who opt-in will save money; about $270 annually per car, according to one think tank. The downside for us hoons is that any braking or speeding deemed "excessive" will increase your payments. Oh, and don't put too many miles on your car, because that'll increase your rates too. So, how do the new systems differ from the old? More »

Knight Rider-Themed GPS System Gets Original Voice Of KITT

Ray Wert — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT

While Val Kilmer did a yeoman's job as the voice of KITT in the made-Ford-TV movie earlier this year, he still sucked compared to Will Arnett. And they both sucked compared to the crisp tones of the original voice of the F-bodied Trans Am, William Daniels. Luckily, he's the voice behind this new Mio GPS with a Knight Rider theme and the voice of Daniels providing direction to boot. It's not yet available for sale, but we're hearing a price of around $270 will be all you'll need to hear Daniels yelling out "Michael, jump in...and turn right at the Sunoco." Although Arnett would have sounded pretty good saying it as well — affectation and all. [~~Winding Road~~ NextAutos via AutoBlog] More »

How Much Is Too Much For GPS? How About A G?

Travis Hudson — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Garmin's ever-expanding line of GPS navigation units is getting an expensive new addition. The Garmin Nuvi 880 is now available for pre-order at Amazon for a ridiculous, ball-busting $1,000. You're probably telling yourself that a GPS system had better be able to read your mind and make coffee to be worth $1,000, right? Well, it can't quite do either, but it does have an extensive list of features and abilities. Full list after the jump. More »

StarChase GPS Tracker Eliminates OJ-Like Chases

Travis Hudson — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:40:00 EDT

A new piece of police technology will be doing its part to lessen the length of car chases and therefore eliminate the hazards of having a belligerent ex-football player careening down the road in a white Ford Bronco. The StarChase is a device that will mount behind the front grill of any police vehicle. It projects a bullet-looking GPS transmitter to the rear of the vehicle being chased. This allows the police to back off and let the computers do their work tracking the alleged criminal. More »

TomTom To World: 'Huh? iPhone?'

Travis Hudson — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:40:00 EDT

So all of that talk of TomTom secretly developing iPhone GPS software followed by the revelation of Apple restrictions on such development, has apparently been blown a bit out of proportion. An anonymous TomTom source explained everything to BoingBoing Gadgets. More »

Apple To TomTom: 'Oh No You Di'int!' snap snap

Travis Hudson — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT

The unofficial happiness between TomTom and the iPhone has taken a turn for the worse, as Apple has more or less forbidden applications from doing what the TomTom application is designed to do. Hidden deep in the iPhone's Software Developer's Kit agreement is a bit of legalese explaining...well, you can read it for yourself. More »

TomTom Beats Apple To The GPS-On-iPhone Punch

Travis Hudson — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:20:00 EDT

Well, we'll be damned, it seems all of the talk about GPS on the iPhone has been upstaged by, uh, GPS on the iPhone. TomTom has announced that its navigation software for the iPhone is ready to roll. More »

iPhone 3G Unveiled With Real GPS

Travis Hudson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:40:38 EDT

All signs (and nightmares) have been leading to this as Apple has unveiled the first big revision to the iPhone, which will now include legitimate and true GPS utilizing Google Maps as the graphical user interface. The first iPhone included quasi-GPS, which is officially known as location based services that uses cell towers, and not satellites, to approximate your location. It also requires you to... More »

AvMap, Peugeot Team Up For Breathalyzer-Equipped GPS

Travis Hudson — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT

We're not sure if this is a testament to French drivers or just Peugeot owners in general, but AvMap has announced a partnership with Peugeot for a breathalyzer-equipped GPS navigation unit called the Geosat 6 Drive Safety. The unit will be an available option for the Peugeot 107 Sweet Years. The driver simply blows into the upper right side of the device to receive a blood alcohol level, and is then allowed to determine if he or she is fit for the road. No potential for abuse there, no siree. More »

Robotic Teddy Bear Navigation System Points, Nags, Thrills Japanese

Travis Hudson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:40:00 EDT

iXs Research Corporation has unveiled a truly creepy GPS navigation system. Rather than having a standard LCD display screen/audio output that shows and tells directions, the system consists of a one-foot-tall teddy bear that not only speaks directions, but also points in the general vicinity in which you need to go. The fun doesn't stop there, either: Little Master Ruxpin also includes an alcohol detection sensor. If the teddy catches a whiff of your three-martini lunch, that's grounds for incessant nagging, plush-toy style. Finally, expect a loud "Watch out!" upon quickly braking or accelerating. More »

Unnamed GPS Manufacturer Scared Of iPhone GPS

Travis Hudson — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:40:00 EDT

The next-generation iPhone is coming soon and one of the big rumors is that the phone will include legitimate GPS and not the half-assed location-based GPS like the current generation. That has some other GPS manufacturers shaking in their boots. One unnamed president of a GPS manufacturer said the prospect of the iPhone with real GPS has him "scared shitless." We're not too surprised by this notion, either. With windshield suction mounts available, there wouldn't be a reason to drop a few hundred on a top-of-the-line GPS navigation unit when your mobile phone can accomplish the same job. More »

Japan Thief Uses Ingenious GPS Plan To Steal Cars

Travis Hudson — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:40:00 EDT

You know, we should not be condoning stealing cars, but the route Mitsuhisa Kobayashi used to nab eight different cars was a pretty smart one. A fact that is already telling of his character, Kobayashi has two ex-wives—both of which he instructed to rent cars. He then made copies of the keys and planted GPS tracking devices, similar to this one, on the car. The ex-wives returned the cars and Kobayashi simply waited for them to be rented again and got away with the vehicles. His reasoning behind stealing the vehicles was pretty simple, as well:

I wanted to drive my favorite cars. I sold the other five cars on the Internet.

With copycat criminals running rampant, it may be time for car rental agencies to invest in a little protection. [Daily Yomiuri Online] (Image via Getty) More »

California To Allow Windshield-Mounted GPS, Finally

Travis Hudson — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:20:00 EDT

California is really going balls to the wall with laws regarding driver distractions. The hands-free requirement is inching closer to being implemented and that animal petting law is still going through the ringer. But in an odd move, California is now proposing a law that would allow drivers to have windshield-mounted GPS units. Oh, you didn't know? Yeah, having a windshield-mounted GPS is illegal in California and punishable with "obstructed view" citations. The specifications behind this new law isn't being accepted well among the GPS faithful. More »

Paranoid Much? Try The GPS Tracker Defense Device

Travis Hudson — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:20:00 EDT

With GPS trackers becoming all the rage with overprotective parents, stalkers and jealous exes, it's only appropriate that a company has began manufacturing devices to counteract those GPS tracking devices. A spy-gadget company now has this Anti GPS Tracker available. It plugs into the 12V DC outlet of your vehicle and is capable of blocking GPS signals in a two to five meter radius. More »

Bus Driver Scalps Bus Thanks To GPS Guidance

Travis Hudson — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EDT

We may be inching towards the future of autonomous vehicles, but we're not quite there yet and a bus driver in Seattle has yet to figure that out. This is just another instance of individuals putting too much faith into GPS navigation devices. Following the directions from a Garmin GPS navigation unit, the Seattle bus driver attempted to go under a low footbridge that was a bit too low as it managed to scalp the bus and injure five. The driver was carrying home the Garfield High School girl's softball team. This unfortunate accident does bring up an interesting conundrum. The driver had put the Garmin device on the "bus" setting and failed to notice the signs prior to the bridge. Obviously the driver is to blame, but how much consideration should Garmin and other GPS manufacturers take when including a "bus" setting? More »

Send Google Maps, MapQuest Directions Directly To Your Garmin

Travis Hudson — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EDT

OnStar isn't the only company to work with mapping software companies. Garmin recently announced the ability to directly send maps and directions to a Garmin GPS navigation system. Rather than taking the painstaking process of looking up an address, writing it down and inputting it into your Garmin GPS navigation unit, you can just plug your Garmin into the computer and use a simple command now integrated into Google Maps and soon to be integrated in MapQuest on April 15 to shoot the directions directly to the Garmin GPS unit. More »

DS-400GB Integrates GPS, Bluetooth, Kitchen Sink Into Rear-view Mirror

Travis Hudson — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:20:00 EDT

The DS-400GB is a new solution to the problem of dash clutter—you know—when you have Bluetooth modules, navigation units, backup camera displays and more all over the dash. This device takes all of those goods and integrates it into the rear-view mirror. The right side of the rear-view mirror is sectioned off as the GPS navigation unit and display for a back-up camera. More »