essential tidbits

GPS receiver: dependable road navigator or not?

October 16, 2008

gps navigatorTechnology and automation is definitely creeping into our lives nowadays. Wasn’t it just few years ago when mobile phones were only limited to calling and sending SMS, now it has developed into a gadget of sorts – digital camera, mp3 player, web browser, organizer and so much more. And what about our laptops which have now become loaded with many high-tech features as well.

Another nifty gadget that’s steadily gaining popularity among us is the GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver which uses the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) via earth orbit satellites “that transmit precise microwave signals, that enable GPS receivers to determine their current location, the time, and their velocity (including direction).” (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS)

As an example, my bro-in-law’s GPS receiver guided us on our way from Pori to Rauma in Western Finland. The gadget is loaded with lots of features which I am not really familiar about. All I know was that it is a visual and audio road guide. It has a touch-sensitive interactive map which displays your current location (indicated by a car icon) and the next road direction. The default audio guide is a calm and reassuring female voice that somehow lessens your nervousness should you make the wrong turn. Although there are now various GPS voice recordings for audio guides from scary to funny – Darth Vader, Bart Simpson and other famous personalities.

Like all automated devices, the GPS receiver has its bugs as well. It is still the driver who needs to be fully attentive to where he’s headed and consider some unexpected road turns or discrepancies in the audio guide. To make full use of your GPS receiver, it’s best to be familiar with its many features. Preparing for a journey is best done by inputting on the GPS receiver the street numbers or points of interest before the trip instead of doing it while on the road. While technology makes our lives much easier, ultimately how we use it to our advantage still matters the most. 

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