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Suunto, the Finnish sport instruments maker has announced a new watch that combines a GPS, barometric sensor, 3D compass and heart monitoring. With the built-in SiRF IV low power GPS chipset, the battery lifetime is said to hold up to 15 hours with continuous GPS tracking and 50 hours with GPS tracking every 1 minute. The watch is also water resistant to 100m.

AMBIT, the new Suunto range comes in two colors, black or silver, with or without a heart rate belt. It will be available in March 2012 in selected outdoor stores and the price is estimated to be between 400-500 Euro.

GPS technology has changed the way we travel. While exciting, traveling and exploring foreign countries can be stressful. Everything is unfamiliar. You may not be able to read the road signs or speak the language well enough to understand directions. A GPS loaded with area-specific maps helps you to enjoy your travels with peace of mind. In order to take full advantage of GPS benefits, it is essential to take the time to prepare both the GPS and yourself before your adventure begins.

Learn Your System
One of the first mistakes people make when using a GPS system is taking it out of the box as they begin their journey. If you do this, you may find that there is a learning curve to most GPS systems. They each work in slightly different ways. While new technology often excites us to the point that we just want to go, it is important to slow down and read the manual. At least give it a quick flip through so that you understand the functions of the system. After you understand the basic functions of the system, you will want to explore how it actually works. Take a road trip as a passenger. Set up a route that you travel routinely and pay attention to how the system actually functions in real life.

Experiment with setting benchmarks, orientating yourself and what happens if you need to re-route. If you plan on using the GPS for walking around cities or exploring nature areas, place yourself in those situations on a small scale. Walk around your home town with the device. Take a small hike. Actually using the GPS in a real situation will prevent stress when in an unfamiliar place. You will know exactly how to read and use your device when you need it the most.

Prepare your GPS
Download the maps for your travel with plenty of time to review them and ensure that they give you the necessary information for the area you are exploring. Compare the generated routes to physical maps to ensure that they are routing properly. Take a test run at finding specific addresses, locations and POI’s.

Remember the Power
Power can be a problem when traversing rural areas by GPS. Be prepared by making sure that you have more power than necessary – in case you become lost or change your travel plans. Make sure you have extra battery power, universal adapters, solar chargers or other power systems. If you are relying on a GPS, you don’t want to have it run out of power just when you need it most.

Considerations for GPS Travel
Be smart when traveling with a GPS. Avoid leaving the device exposed in your vehicle. It could easily be stolen, taking your route with you. Carry a physical map with you, just in case. While it may not be as detailed or updated as your GPS maps, it could help you navigate in an emergency. Keep in mind that wondering around a city while blatantly using a GPS can target you immediately as a tourist or lost. Many GPS devices allow you to use ear buds to listen to directions, allowing you to keep the device in your pocket. This can also free up your hands.
Taking the time to understand your GPS and prepare the device helps prevent the stress that often comes from travel situations, leaving you able to enjoy every minute of your adventure.
Source: MemNav.com

Shoes embedded with location tracking technology can help find people who unpredictably wander off. Joann Johnston, whose husband, Bill Johnston, has Alzheimer’s disease, said the shoes give her peace of mind. “When I lost him, you, you kind of panic,” she said.
“I had been leaving him and going to the bank and say, ‘OK, go in, drink your tea and wait for me, and I will come back.’ And he would do that,” Joann Johnston explained. “(But one time) I spent a little longer in the grocery store and got back maybe 45 minutes later, and I looked in McDonald’s and he wasn’t there. I opened the bathroom door and hollered ‘Bill.’ No answer.”

Bill Johnston, who is 83 years old, had wandered away toward a main highway. Joan Johnston recalled, “I looked over — was looking all around the parking lots and the shopping center, across the street from McDonald’s I saw him. … He couldn’t remember when I would be back. When I wasn’t there the he said — ‘Well where is she? I’ll just walk home.”‘ She picked him up and brought him home.

Bill Johnston is one of an estimated 5.3 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and wandering is one of the most common symptoms. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, many will wander at least once during the progression of the disease, and many, three or more times which, Quijano noted, can make shoes loaded with GPS technology a literal life-saver, and ease the burden often placed on primary care-takers.

Andrew Carle, executive in residence of senior housing at George Mason University, saw a need to curb wandering and reached out to a California company that makes shoes with GPS systems. They partnered on a model for the elderly. “(Primary caretakers are) afraid to even turn their back on their loved ones for two or three minutes or even to go to the bathroom for a few minutes, because they’re afraid when they come out, they may be gone,” Carle said. “And this technology can really help them and gives them a chance of locating them.”

Seeking ways to control Bill Johnston’s wandering, Joan Johnston and son Alan Johnston were led to George Mason University and Carle, who offered them a pair of shoes to test. “We discussed it and we decided to try these shoes out on him,” Alan Johnston said. “And (we) thought this would be a good match and kind of went from there.” A computer programmer, Alan Johnston takes care of the technological side of things for his parents.

“The shoes give you more control,” Alan Johnston said. “My mom can call me immediately and I can give her immediate feedback on his location.” Carle said, “We’re trying to maximize the odds that they’re going to have this technology on them and the best location is to put it in shoes.”

Joan and Bill Johnston hope it will make their lives easier. The philosophy Joan lives by? “You take it day-by-day and moment-by-moment and try not to plan too far ahead,” she said. “I don’t plan more than a day ahead of time. And you take it, today.”
Carle also worked closely with a company in New Jersey Aetrex, on the shoe.