Scout GPS App Gets Hands-Free Voice Commands

The Scout GPS navigation app has been updated with hands-free voice commands.

Features:
• Do more with less hassle—The personal commute dashboard is updated in real time with the most relevant local info. See your traffic-based commute times and current traffic flows, with zero tapping needed. And with just a tap, find your recent and favorite destinations, discover nearby places like restaurants and cheap gas stations, and get turn-by-turn navigation to home and work.

• NEW! No typing necessary—Yes, that’s right! Just say “Hey Scout!” to activate voice commands to search and drive to places.

• NEW! Stay connected wherever you go--Log in with Facebook to sync your favorites, recents and settings across multiple devices.

• Find anything fast—Scout’s OneBox search has faster and more intelligent autocomplete for better, relevant, and easier-to-read results. And you can now search without typing by saying “Hey Scout!”

• Beat traffic—Scout gives you the most efficient routes with the least amount of traffic, one-tap adaptive rerouting to avoid jams, street-level traffic views for major roads and side streets, live alerts to help you navigate around upcoming traffic incidents and police speed traps, turn-by-turn traffic summary for your route, and more!

• Always have the best route—In addition to multiple routes to choose from, Scout uses Adaptive Routing to look out for time-saving and traffic-beating options as you drive and lets you switch with one tap if a better route is available or to avoid an incident.

• Help others beat traffic too—Report traffic congestion, police, road hazards, and accidents with a simple tap to help you fellow Scout drivers avoid gridlock or being pulled over.

• Get free voice guidance—Scout guides you to your destination with free turn-by-turn, voice navigation and also listens to your voice commands to search or drive, so you can enjoy the journey hands free and without distractions.

• No more “where are you??” texts—Scout lets others know when you’ll be there and lets them follow your real-time progress on a map with OnMyWay® ETA-sharing.

• Discover the local weekend scene—Find places to go and things to do like live music, bars, shows, family events, sports, movies, and more. Plan online at www.scout.me and sync your favorites between the site and the app.

• Find your friends in Scout and share places and events with them through email, SMS, Facebook, and Twitter.

What's New In This Version:
• A total hands-free voice commands experience! Once Scout is launched, activate voice commands to search and navigate by saying, “Hey Scout!” Your voice is Scout’s command.
• Stay connected wherever you go! Makes being on the go easier with one less password to remember by logging in with Facebook to sync your favorites, recent places and settings across multiple devices.
• Fixed bugs reported in the previous release.

You can download Scout from the App Store for free.

TomTom Multi-Sport GPS Watch

TomTom Multi-Sport GPS Watch

Pros
Tracks running, walking, bicycling, swimming. Exquisitely large LCD display. Easy-to-press buttons. GPS enabled. Lightweight, breathable band. Good battery life. Includes bike mount. Works indoors and outdoors. 

Cons
 Watch strap may flap in the pool. No built-in, strapless heart-rate monitor (chest strap costs extra). Difficulty connecting to MapMyFitness account in testing.

Bottom Line
TomTom Multi-Sport GPS Watch for triathletes tracks running, swimming, and bicycling, indoors and out. It's not as cutting edge as some products that include strapless heart rate monitoring, but it's a good device with a fantastic design.

GPS stations key to state's quake warning system

Earthquake scientists have found powerful new tools to alert Californians when distant earthquakes are about to cause dangerous ground-shaking where they are. Global Positioning Systems, high-tech versions of the devices that guide ships at sea and drivers through unfamiliar city streets, can instantly measure even tiny disruptions of the Earth's crust caused by major quakes, said Richard Allen, director of the UC Seismological Laboratory at Berkeley.
"We can now do a better job of swiftly estimating the magnitude of large earthquakes as they rupture the ground, and we have shown that we can successfully process the data in real time," he said, reporting the advance Thursday at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

Allen is a member of the California Integrated Seismic Network, a consortium of the state's major universities, research institutions and the U.S. Geological Survey, whose scientists have been developing and testing a prototype Early Warning System statewide for nearly a dozen years.
The need for adding GPS was stimulated by Japan's great undersea Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in April 2011 which killed more than 15,000 people and destroyed three major nuclear power plants, Allen said in an interview.
When the earthquake struck, its magnitude was first estimated by Japan's automatic early warning system at 7.5. The magnitude was quickly recalculated to a 9, but the difference led the system to briefly underestimate the intensity of ground-shaking on parts of Japan's main island, he said. That underestimation left some people without adequate warning of what was to come.

Bay Area stations

Some 40 large GPS stations are operating in the Bay Area, and their measurements of the Earth's distortion along a major fault as it ruptures can add significantly to the accuracy of early automatic estimates of a quake's magnitude. That means it will improve the accuracy of the warning system's forecasts of intense ground-shaking, its developers say.
Ronni Grapethin, a postdoctoral fellow from the University of Alaska who currently is working in the Berkeley seismology laboratory, joined Allen in the report.
"This will be an essential part of the early warning system," said geophysicist Peggy Hellweg of the Berkeley lab. "It is an extremely important add-on, especially when very large earthquakes can produce extremely strong ground-shaking," she said.
The completed warning system, known as ShakeAlert, could give Bay Area residents up to a full minute of warning when a major quake starts rupturing the ground hundreds of miles away, and even a few crucial seconds of warning if the quake hits closer to home, scientists say.

Garmin Forerunner 220

• GPS running watch with high-resolution color display
• Identifies personal records
• Connected features²: automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, live tracking, social media sharing
• Compatible with free training plans from Garmin Connect

Just like a coach, Forerunner 220 provides the motivating feedback you need to guide your training. You can even get post-run encouragement from friends and fans, thanks to the 220’s connected features like real-time live tracking and social media sharing via the Garmin Connect Mobile app.

 

A Coach in Every Watch

Forerunner 220 measures essential running data including distance, pace and heart rate¹. It’s like having a coach on hand, providing constant feedback and recording all your stats so you can focus on your run. In addition to using GPS to calculate distance and pace, the 220 has a built-in accelerometer. So you know distance and pace data when you’re running on an indoor track or treadmill, with no need for a separate foot pod. The accelerometer can also track distance when GPS is unavailable, such as when you run through a tunnel. It’s compatible with free training plans from Garmin Connect, which you can schedule and send to your watch, for real-time coaching.

Easy to Use

The 220 has a color display, which makes it easy to interpret your data at a glance. It also features simple button operations and a sturdy, hinged wristband that’s comfortable for any size wrist.

Extra Training Features

You can set up alerts for heart rate, pace or run/walk intervals to help you stay in the desired range. The 220 features vibration alerts and audible alerts, and you can customize it to provide both or just one type of prompt. When your run’s done and saved in your watch’s history, a post-run summary appears so you can see how you did. The 220 also notices if you hit any personal records on that run, such as your fastest mile, 5k, 10k, half or full marathon, or your longest run to date.

Get Connected

Forerunner 220 automatically uploads your data to Garmin Connect even when you can't get to a computer. Get the free Garmin Connect Mobile app on your smartphone² and then pair it with your watch. When you save your completed run, it will automatically upload to Garmin Connect when you’re in range of your phone.
It also features live tracking, which allows your friends and fans to follow along and see your stats in real time. You must have your phone paired with the 220 throughout your run to use LiveTrack. You can also share your victories through social media with the Garmin Connect Mobile app. And, for real-time coaching as you run, the 220 is compatible with free training plans at Garmin Connect. By regularly connecting your watch to Garmin Connect, you'll also benefit from a faster GPS fix due to satellite data that will be sent to your device automatically.

Garmin GPSMAP 721xs

An Amazing Combo with a 7" Touchscreen Display

• 7" WVGA touchscreen display with pinch-to-zoom
• HD-ID™ sonar
• 10Hz GPS/GLONASS receiver
• NMEA® 2000 and wireless connectivity
• Worldwide basemap

GPSMAP 721xs combination chartplotter/sounder allows for easy visibility, day or night. Whether it is flat, flush or gimble-mounted, it will be the focal point of your helm. It has media integration and autopilot compatibility, radar support, and NMEA® 2000 and wireless connectivity. It includes our hallmark user-friendly interface as well as a worldwide basemap.

 

Super-fast 10 Hz GPS/GLONASS

With the integration of a 10Hz GPS/GLONASS receiver, the 721xs refreshes position and heading up to 10 times per second. It displays constant and fluid on-screen location and proves to be incredibly accurate when marking waypoints and navigating.

Advanced Echo HD-ID Sonar

In addition to the integrated receiver, GPSMAP 721xs also allows for sonar recording. This feature coordinates the timing of the sonar return in relation to the boat’s position — so every one of the available 5,000 waypoints will be accurate and precise. It's an absolute must when locating and pinpointing the next hot fishing spot.

Spread-Spectrum CHIRP Sonar

When used with a compatible CHIRP transducer (sold separately), GPSMAP 721xs displays crystal-clear sonar images to help find the next hidden fishing spot, ship wreckage or diving location. With our Spread-Spectrum technology, you can see target separation and resolution at extraordinary depths, and dial into specific frequencies to target certain species of sport fish. Bottom contours are more visible, and signal noise can be suppressed at greater depths to provide a more timely interpretation of what’s below for safer navigation and better fishing.

Garmin GPSMAP 541

The GPSMAP 541s is a compact chartplotter that features an ultra-bright 5" (12.7 cm) QVGA color display along with an improved high-speed digital design for increased map drawing and panning speeds. It’s ready to go with an easy-to-use interface and a built-in, satellite-enhanced basemap preloaded with all U.S. coastal areas, including Alaska and Hawaii as well as detailed charts for the Bahamas. The GPSMAP 541s also accepts BlueChart® g2 Vision® cards (sold separately) for added features and functionality such as high-resolution satellite imagery, 3-D views and Auto Guidance technology.

 

 

Explore the Seas

The GPSMAP 541s comes ready to go with preloaded U.S. coastal area map data. For areas outside the U.S., the GPSMAP 541s has a worldwide basemap with satellite images in place of more traditional maps. The GPSMAP 541s also comes standard with a high-sensitivity GPS receiver for superior satellite tracking and quicker acquisition times. In addition, the GPSMAP 541s can receive U.S. graphical weather data via optional GXM™ 51 satellite receiver/antenna (sold separately). And with an SD™ card slot, it’s easy to add additional maps without connecting to a computer.

Get Sonar

The GPSMAP 541s comes with a powerful dual-frequency transducer that clearly illustrates depth contours, fish targets and structures whether you’re fishing in freshwater or off the coast. The GPSMAP 541s also is NMEA 2000®-certified for easy connectivity with sensors, instruments and future marine offerings.

Add Extras with BlueChart g2 Vision

With the optional BlueChart g2 Vision SD card, you can add a whole new dimension of exceptional features to your chartplotter.

• MarinerEye view and FishEye view provide you a 3-D perspective of map information, both above and below the waterline.
• High-resolution satellite images and aerial photographs help you orient yourself in unfamiliar areas.
• Auto Guidance technology searches through all relevant charts to create a route you can actually follow — one that avoids obstacles, shallow water, buoys and other obstructions.