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Tags: GPS Travel / Italy Travel / Mistakes / → All Tags
GPS Typo Sends Swedish Tourists 400 Miles In The Wrong Direction
Mark this under "do not do": a Swedish couple vacationing in Italy had a hankering for the tropical charms of the island of Capri, and so programmed their GPS of their rental car to show them the way. At least they though they had set it for Capri; instead they miss-typed and ended up being directed 400 miles out of the way to Carpi, Italy.
Upon arrival at the Carpi tourist office, they reportedly asked where to find the famous Blue Grotto. As for what else transpired, we'll let the Carpi tourism official tell the story:
Capri is an island. They did not even wonder why they didn't cross any bridge or take any boat. Once they realised their mistake, the couple got back in their car and headed south.
There had to have been so many stupid mistakes made and overlooked for this to even happen: GPS units usually display a map and your location name, they would have been heading further and further inland, and did they not even read signs on the highway? Oh well— they're now the subjects of a BBC story; that's something to write in their postcards home.
Related Stories:
· Swedes Miss Capri After GPS Gaffe [BBC]
· GPS Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
[Image: Google Maps]
Tags: Backpackers / Australia Travel / GPS Travel / → All Tags
GPS Tracking Is The New Postcard Home
Keeping in touch with your parents while you're backpacking your way around the world has certainly gotten a lot easier since the internet arrived, but apparently a regular email isn't enough for British mom Rachel Wilder.
Her son Harry is gap-yearing his way around Australia at the moment, and thanks to the satellite navigation device mom makes him carry, she can log on any time and find out exactly where he is. The poor boy bravely admits that it's not so bad because it means he doesn't get constant calls from his parents, but it sure isn't something we want our parents to do on our next trip.
Overzealous mom also figures she's doing him a favor because the GPS tracker records his every move for posterity. She explains: "He can keep that and be able to look and remember where he was on what days and at what times."
Right. Because we really want to tell our grandkids, "We walked into the hostel in Brisbane at 4.38pm on May 25."
Related Stories:
· British Mum Fits Tracking Device to Backpacker Son [Courier-Mail]
· Australia Travel Guide [Jaunted]
[Photo: Marcin Wichary]
Tags: GPS Travel / Travel News / Road Trips / Cars / → All Tags
How The Phantom Alert Might Help You on Your Next Road Trip
Aside from finding alternate routes in traffic, traversing a strange city's streets with confidence, and approximating drive time, there is now another huge benefit to investing in a GPS: it will help you avoid dreaded red light cameras. We usually check our mental rolodex of local camera locations when we hesitate to blaze through intersections, but this doesn't work on road trips.
Before your next confusing drive through the roundabouts of Boston or the stop-start traffic of Beverly Hills, look into downloading "Phantom Alert," new software for GPS systems with the purpose of diverting you from traffic cameras and even DUI checks—not that we advocate detouring around drunkenness.
Tags: Culture Travel / History / Audio Tours / GPS Travel / → All Tags
Berlin: Hear History Rebuild the Wall
Visitors to modern-day Germany are almost 20 years late to catch the Berlin Wall in action. But the structure that divided the city for 30 years and served as a symbol for the Cold War for both sides is visible thanks to the government's GPS tour of where the wall used to be.
Like an art museum audio guide, a "Walk the Wall" device can be picked up at several locations--like the Brandenburg Gate and popular crossover Checkpoint Charlie--and rented by the hour to dispense history lessons at various points where the wall used to stand.
Because it uses GPS, the guides can also tell you if you've strayed too far from the wall and how to get back on track. An iPod tour can't do that!
Related Stories:
· Walk the Wall [Berlin.de]
· iPod Audio Tours Taking Over New York [Jaunted]
· Berlin Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: burnblue]
Tags: Travel Gear / Travel Gadgets / Travel Tech / GPS Travel / → All Tags
Travel Tech for GPS Obsessives: Spot Messenger
So that travel blog, that Flickr page and your constantly-updated Twitter account aren't enough? Better look into Spot. The "satellite messenger" is the official gizmo of the TMI era.
Here's how it works: As you trek along, Spot pings GPS satellites and then sends your location to a password-protected server. It can also send an SMS or email to your buddies, which will direct them to a Google Map pinpointing your position in almost-real time. You can also go back afterwards and scope the route you navigated and your waypoints.
Admittedly, you can use the thing for something more important than over-sharing your world travels. In an emergency, Spot will send a distress signal to rescuers, complete with your current coordinates. Could be handy if you end up stranded at an abandoned train station.
Related Stories:
· Spot Messenger [Official Site, via]
· Travel Gear coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Green Travel / San Francisco Tours / Electric Car Tours / GPS Travel / → All Tags
San Francisco GPS Car Tours: They Know Where OJ Went To School
Last summer we told you about a San Francisco tourist transportation that was sure to get the greenies over-excited.
Now, we bring you GoCar Rentals in SF.
GoCar rentals is similar to Electric Time Cars in that, they offer electric carts that go up to 35 mph and an on board GPS computer so you don't get lost. So what is the difference? Well according to GoCar they provide the “first ever storytelling car.” Apparently they never watched Knight Rider.
What kind of stories does GoCar tell?
It tells you about historical facts of certain locations and business. Who would have known that O.J Simpson attended to Galileo High School! I didn't know until the GPS lady told me so!
A GoCar rents for $44 for the first hour, $34 for hour two, and $24 for each additional hour, after five hours of rental, you won't be charged for any additional hours. GoCar drivers must be 21 or older with a valid driver’s license.
Oh, and get this, you can become a GoCar Rental franchisee. You can license a GoCar Rentals franchise for somewhere between 50 and 100k; the company’s first franchise has already opened in San Diego. A second franchise is scheduled to open in Miami in April. GoCars also sells new and used GoCars—buy one and launch your own brand of GPS tours. New vehicles run $6,000.
Maybe we should start Jaunted GoCars New York. Could we still get Dick Clark to do the audio portion--"Remember, to wear a helmet!" Is this gonna be bigger than Subway? Time will tell.
[Photo: rhosoi]
Related Stories:
· Toursit Transportation is Electric [Jaunted]
· GoCar Rentals [Yelp]
