Ed Fotheringham
Smart & Wired: Public Display of Affection
March 1, 2005
GPS has also made its mark outside of the business world. Marine navigation
was first introduced in most larger boats and yachts as built-in consoles
that include major navigation markers, coastal topographical maps, tide and
current charts—everything that would help a captain pilot the boat. Navigation
software on handhelds does all of the same except you can take your PDA or
dedicated GPS device (such as Navman’s Tracker products or Garmin
International’s GPSMAP or iQue products) with you on a launch or a Jet Ski. And
the handheld versions are often designed specifically for hobbyists. For
example, you can download charts for specific lakes that include topographical
and contour maps of each body of water’s floor as well as its types of fish—and
which bait they like.
Hikers and sportsmen are also benefiting from GPS
integration with topographical software. This software, such as Maptech Inc.’s
Terrain Navigator, gives off-road directions and locations in both 2-D and
3-D renderings. Hunters and hikers can use the programs to track where they are
and where they’ve been so they can find their way home. They can also input
their own markers and notations—a scenic overlook, for example—that can be saved
for future use. But it’s not just hikers who are using topographical programs,
say experts. Links-lovers are also getting their own GPS-enabled handhelds. Over
the last few years, an increasing number of golf courses have installed GPS on
golf carts. The only problem: If your ball goes into the rough, there is no way
to use the cart’s GPS to find your way out. Handhelds change that. You can take
them off the main green and use them to figure out the distance from tee to
green or obstacle to green. (IntelliGolf, one of the most popular programs, has
more than 20,000 courses already programmed into it.) The software also keeps
score for you and provides statistics—your percentage of birdies, for example.
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