(no subject)

[wispfox]

So, I'm feeling highly demanding. I want a combination phone, decent PDA with wireless networking, and GPS system w/decent maps. Toys! But useful ones! If it even exists yet, that is.

Also, I appear to have decided to start drooling over the sheer cuteness and niftiness of the Hiptop. But I don't think it has any sort of GPS system available for it. Which is probably a good thing, from the perspective of me not spending stupid amounts of money on something I don't actually need. Also, it would suck to have to change my mobile service provider, which it looks like I might have to do. And I have this odd feeling that someone has mentioned software lock-in problems. But. Cute! Cutecutecutecute!

OK. I sleep now.

Comments

[szasz.livejournal.com]

My take on all that is that it would be ergonomically impossible to get all of those things into one combination box. What I want instead is to leverage Bluetooth so that I can leave my cell phone and MP3 player in my backpack, listen to music and/or talk on the phone using a wireless headset, and then get on the net with my PDA either accessing the net via my phone, or using its own wireless LAN. And why not have a Bluetooth GPS receiver in my backpack too, sending position data to the PDA? Sure, the antenna would have to stick out, but I wouldn't use that thing that often.

Too bad Bluetooth isn't as ubiquitous as 802.11abg. It does seem to be catching on, though.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<which [...] bluetooth?>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

<which mp3 player is bluetooth? does it play via the pda?>

indeed. i prefer simple purpose built items as opposed to a single device (which tends to be cumbersome too lately). this allows me to upgrade components.

also, i so do *not* want my pda hooked to a phone/802.11 all the time. backdoors, security. what might a virus do? yuck.

that said. google on "bluetooth gps", "bluetooth gps palm", and "bluetooth gps palm mapopolis". lots of good stuff.

here's a couple:
www.gps4fun.com <-- great store in general
this one is usable standalone too (somewhat, no maps built in)
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/dreampages/mapbluetgpsp1.html
this lists a variety, including swappable batery model:
http://www.devbuzz.com/mp/bluetooth_gps.asp

a keen thing to note is some of the headless gps units that you can change the batteries on in the field. vastly improved lifetime for the pda portion of the game. some of the softare now can do on the fly ROUTING on the pda. for these headless units, all you need to do is secure the thing on the top of the backpack, in a pocket or on your hat, or on the dash of the car. several of them are ruggedized as well, pdas usually aren't. that's why you need the otterbox armor stuff too: http://www.otterbox.com/category.cfm?Category=28

special note! a pda with a ram card slot (sd/cf/etc) can HOLD vast maps :) very nice. speaking of which, see the NICE pda at www.tapwave.com - and it speaks bluetooth. sweet.

phone? just get a nice phone with bluetooth. it's only for voice and being a modem. if you get the right phone/plan/network for use as a modem, you can even get some impressive speeds. i think t-mobile is supposed to be quite fast now?

and that's about all from the pda geek front :)