Just before the Olympics started, I was given a new GPS gadget to play with, called the i-gotU GT-600 USB GPS Travel & Sports Logger. Since I was planning on doing a lot of travelling around during the games, this seemed like a perfect way to test it out.
So what is it?
It’s basically a GPS receiver with onboard memory that tracks your current location via GPS and writes out some data to the device. You can then later download this data and do all kinds of cool things with it like plot your travels on a map, geotag any photos you took while on walkabout with the map data and export the geo data to other applications like Google Earth where you can make movies from your travels.
I even took it dog sledding with me (the purple line is the trail we took along the river):
As you can see, the device is pretty tiny:
I just had it clipped onto my backpack for most of the games. Its onboard battery ran for days without recharging all the while it was downloading my location data.
The main thing I liked about this device over my other GPS photo gadgets is that it was always on, capturing data. My Nikon GP-1 needed a few minutes to acquire its satellite lock once I powered on my camera. It also has a motion detector so it goes into standby mode when you don’t move to conserve battery power.
What I didn’t like is the software support…unfortunately it only supports Windows XP and the 32 bit version of Windows 7 at the moment. No Mac support either. I have the 64 bit version of Windows installed on my MacBook Pro but had to use XP (under VMWare) to access the device and software. The good thing is the manufacturer is updating the software pretty regularly and once you do export the gps data, you can use it on anything. I’ve been playing around with my Whitehorse trip data file in Google Earth on my Mac. I haven’t had a chance to explore other gps apps that can accept the *.GPX data files. Also, while the geotagging option for photos is nice, I shoot RAW so I would have had to convert them down to jpegs then sync them with the software before being able to upload them somewhere like Flickr – a few too many steps for my workflow but I know lots of photogs that like the idea of being able to geotag without an expensive addon like the GP-1 (or they have a non-Nikon camera).
Overall I’m pretty happy with the device. I’ll be taking it with me to Austin later this week to track my SXSW attendance too.
Bad jokes about the name aside, I’ll be ordering an iPad just as soon as they are available:
I’ll probably order the 32gb model with 3G radio. Not 100% sure I’d use the 3G network option but I’d rather have the option…especially since it’s unlocked – which is a big deal by the way. This could also be foreshadowing of the next iPhone device. The fact they even mentioned ‘unlocked’ is huge.
More later…like when real humans actually get their hands on it.
Update: This guy nails it with a great post on the iPad as well as a lot of things on the internet.
Over the holidays, I got to check out a friend’s Go Pro HD which really blew me away since you can put it just about anywhere thanks to its numerous mount options, waterproof housing and wicked wide angle lens. Unfortunately it’s about $300 and I just can’t justify that right now but I still wanted to be able to have some fun with the cameras I already have and attach them to different things to shoot HD and timelapse videos.
So this weekend, I picked up a Delkin Fat Gecko Mini-Mount (Amazon link although I bought mine from London Drugs):
It’s a beefy suction cup mount for attaching your camera to all kinds of things…like your car:
I know what you’re thinking…but this mount is much more robust than the $12 mount I found on ebay (which I overloaded).
I wanted to try it out with some ’safer’ positions first that I could keep an eye on but after spending some time today with it stuck all over my car, driving at different speeds (including taking it on the highway) I trust it to carry my smaller cameras like the Kodak Zx1 and even my trusty Nikon P6000 pretty much while attached in any position to my car, inside or out. Driving from my home to downtown (about 30 minutes on the highway) over all kinds of turns and bumps resulted in no problems with the mount…it’s solid.
Here’s a video showing some of the different angles I shot during my ‘test drive’ today:
The mount also comes with an extension arm which lets you get out and away from the attach point better so I’ll be trying that next. I also need to dig out my wide angle and fisheye lenses to make the field of view on the Zx1 even wider.
UPDATE: Found my fisheye lens and added the extension arm to the Fat Gecko….the results are pretty awesome:
Over the holidays, I picked up a Mophie Juice Pack Air for my iPhone 3GS thanks to a great deal on Boxing Day ($48 @ London Drugs).
I’ve been considering one of these types of battery packs for my iPhone for awhile. I already have the Griffin Power Jolt which works really well when you just need a little more juice but sometimes you’re away from an outlet for longer than you’d like. The Power Jolt only gives you about 25% of your battery back on an iPhone 3G/3GS whereas the Mophie gives you one full charge back effectively doubling your battery power.
The form factor of the Juice Pack Air is very similar to the iPhone…it’s a similar shiny hard plastic case that completely envelops the iPhone. I kind of wish it wasn’t so shiny as for a case, it doesn’t offer any slip protection like most cases do. I’d prefer a matte finish or even a rubberized coating. All the iPhone’s buttons and switches are still accessible except the dock connector:
In its place is a micro USB port and a slider switch. The Juice Pack comes with the necessary micro USB cable that facilitates charging the Juice Pack and allows you to sync your iPhone while in the case. I wish it was a more common mini USB cable but at least it’s not a proprietary plug/cable although I don’t believe I have any other devices (or cables) that are micro USB so it’s one more cable you need to carry and hope you don’t lose. At least Mophie sells replacement cables inexpensively on their website.
The switch allows you to control when the iPhone receives its charge from the Juice Pack. You can charge it up and leave it in standby mode until you need it.
As I mentioned earlier, everyone on the iPhone is still available to use, including the camera as you can see above. The photo should also give you a good idea of how much extra bulk the case/battery adds to the iPhone. I have to say, when I first held a Juice Pack, it seemed bulky but after having this one for a couple of days, it’s really not a big deal.
The Juice Pack has a ‘fuel gauge’ and button on the back of the case:
This is similar to Apple laptops that display how much power is left in the battery. While charging, these light up and blink to indicate how far along the charge is. Press the button at any time and you’ll know how much juice is left in the case.
The only real shortcoming this device has is the inability to charge the iPhone battery directly through the case while plugged into your computer (or similar USB power port). You can only charge up the Juice Pack and then charge the iPhone by depleting the Juice Pack. I would have preferred to be able to charge up both (sequentially is fine) so that you have both fully charged up before heading out. The way it is now, you have to charge them separately. Removing the iPhone from the case is easy enough but it would be easier if you didn’t have to.
I don’t plan on using the case all the time, just on those days that I know I’ll be out for an extended time and don’t want to worry about my iPhone dying while using it heavily.
UPDATE (Jan 7, 2010): Thanks to C.K.’s suggestion in the comments, it does appear that the syncing while in the Juice Pack Air issue is related to a bad cable. I swapped cables and it worked fine. Contact Mophie’s support to get a replacement. Mine is on it’s way.
This past week, LG Canada invited me to come and check out some of their new mobile devices as well as participate in a Mobile Charity Challenge. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I’m always curious to check out new technology.
We were shown a number of different types of mobile devices, some already on the market and some coming soon in a casual, roundtable format.
The New Chocolate is wider (taller) than the iPhone 3GS and has a very vivid and bright screen in an aspect ratio better suited for movies as you can see “Star Trek” playing on the iPhone in full, widescreen compared to the “Avatar” trailer playing on the BL40.
It has a slick, 3D cube style interface (which LG calls their ‘S-Class’ interface) that is manipulated via the large, touchscreen interface. There was no denying that it’s a beautiful media playing device that also happens to be a phone.
Unfortunately, it’s not a smartphone so I wasn’t really all that interested in it personally. It also is only available exclusively on the Telus network in North America so it’s even further limited to who can actually get it.
Take me to your Android
The next device we were shown was the LG Eve (available from Rogers in Canada), which sports the Android operating system:
I’ve been interested in finding a decent Android handset…I was unimpressed with the HTC varieties…mostly because they seemed cheap and flimsy in my hand. The Eve didn’t. In fact, it felt very nice in your hand with it’s rounded edges and smooth side flip keyboard which you could easily manipulate with one hand.
It’s slightly smaller than the iPhone but is a little thicker….but it seemed to be a good size to fit in the palm. Definitely more comfortable than the tablet style design of the iPhone.
The Eve sports a 5 megapixel camera with flash and a number of LG developed native apps that allow you to edit your photos and video right on the phone and then share with various social network sites. There were over 50 different effects you could apply to a photo, not unlike some of the many camera apps available on the iPhone. Also, the video editing software is surprisingly capable for making VGA sized videos complete with titles, transitions, a soundtrack and basic trim editing that you can then upload directly to YouTube.
I’m not going to go into all the features/specs of the Eve as it’s available elsewhere but I’ll try to answer a couple of obvious questions based on my limited time playing with the device.
Would it replace your iPhone?
No. At least not entirely. If I didn’t already have an iPhone, I’d most likely give it a serious consideration. There are some definite features that I like on the Eve that are better than on the iPhone (camera, flash, form factor in hand, microSD expandability) but I still found the interface somewhat counter intuitive and cluttered. The iPhone still seems to shine because of it’s simplicity and lack of buttons. The Eve has more physical buttons and a busier looking interface. This may suite you more than other people – I think it boils down to personal preference…my opinion on the UI would surely change the more time I had to use it, but it’s not as easy as the iPhone to simply pick up and start using with little knowledge of the UI.
I’m more interested in having a device like this to spend more time in Android land…this one certainly felt good.
Android is an interesting platform for smartphones that like it or not is constantly being compared to the iPhone. I’m very interested in seeing it mature and compete against the iPhone.
No Mac Support
I was kind of disappointed and surprised to hear that all these phones come only with software for Windows to allow you to sync your contacts, media, etc. but aren’t directly compatible with Apple computers. It sounded like some things could be manually synced because they weren’t in proprietary formats but I wasn’t able to test that aspect during my time with the devices. They apparently appear as mass storage devices when plugged in via USB with your content accessible via the file system.
One thing that kept coming to mind during the event is that LG is creating some interesting mobile and media technology, but like many mobile device manufacturers, their offerings are locked into carrier specific networks rather than being open and available to anyone. As well, some of these devices could stand on their own as great media players or wifi enabled internet devices without a phone component (ala iPod Touch) – as I mentioned, I’d love to have the the Eve to be able to play more with the Android operating system without requiring me to either switch from my iPhone or swap sim cards…I’m also not prepared to get two mobile plans just to play with the technology (unless someone wants to give it to me) so I’m less likely to switch to an Android device because I haven’t been able to experience the platform enough without a huge cost. Speaking with Blackberry (and PC) users, it’s a common issue…people are reluctant to change platforms unless they are confident they can get into their comfort zone quickly so they stick with what they know.
Calling Dick Tracy
We also got to see and play with LG’s newest version of video phone watch – yes a watch that is a phone with a video camera!
Unfortunately, it’s not currently available in the North American market (but it’s coming) so we weren’t able to try a call but were able to see how the built in camera worked and displayed video images on the watch – just like iChat on your MacBook, it was pretty slick and speedy. The size of the watch wasn’t ridiculous but probably big for many people. I’d wear one in a heartbeat. I’m looking forward to checking this device out further once it’s available in North America.
Lastly, we were also shown a new phone that hasn’t been released yet (the LG IQ) that was running the Windows Mobile operating system (yes it’s still around)…but I didn’t really get a chance to play with it much so I’ll leave it out of this post.
Mo’Money
The final thing we did during the event was the Mobile Charity Challenge. This was a series of tasks everyone was asked to do using the phones we had just been shown. The winner of the challenge would be awarded a surprisingly huge $5000 to the charity of their choice. It was a good way to spend some time with the devices doing some common things the average person would do with the phones.
I ended up winning because of a video I (quickly) shot and edited on the Eve (I didn’t keep a copy of it) and won $5000 for Movember (a month long campaign to benefit prostate cancer research).
It was a great way to end the event, especially because I was attending the Movember wrap up gala right after the LG event…nothing beats being able to present an oversized novelty cheque at a charity event!
Thanks to LG Canada for hosting an interesting evening and making an extremely generous donation to my chosen charity.
Amazon link
for my iPhone 3GS thanks to a great deal on Boxing Day ($48 @ 
