5 gadgets that will be dead in 5 years

I can't understand why folks can't grasp the fact that current smartphones contain gps chips. If a cheapo $100 Garmin device can contain a "magical" gps chip, why can't people comprehend the fact that other devices can contain gps chips???

All cell phones have had GPS receivers in them for several years now - like 5+ - even before the "smart phone" craze - because of E-911 FCC rules. The hitch in the get along has been the software - as in operating systems on phones and now with the smart phones - the apps.

I think you're arguing with yourself these days, GadgetGuy2008.

You have your preference, others have theirs. We all need to respect that.

$30/month for data wouldn't make me poor either but the question is do I need data plan? The answer I always come up with is no, I don't. The reasons are pretty obvious, I don't travel much and I'm always near WiFi hotspots (@ home or work). I'm not the kind to throw away some money every month for something I don't need.

I have no problem respecting others' preferences. The problem I have is when they keep repeating incorrect information.

Maybe I should start spouting lies about Garmin devices and see how worked up you folks get!! That would be funny to watch.

Swiss Army Knife? Leatherman?

NP

I have one Swiss Army Knife to the max. I stand by what I said.

Incorrect! Smartphones are easily capable of downloading and storing all the maps of the U.S. Truth be told, with 32GB of memory, I can dl and store the maps for the dozens of countries!

You can in fact dl and install numerous FREE POI databases, including ones that list red-light cameras and speed traps, and they are user-generated/updated just like they are here.

Further, while you are only allowed to load on your PND what few apps Garmin will allow you to install, there are THOUSANDS of FREE apps that I can download and use on my Droid whenever I feel like it. Because the linux-based Droid phones are open-sourced (unlike the cumbersome and proprietary OS's of the top 3 GPS makers) this encourages innovation and competition will results not only in exciting and useful apps, but much lower prices for the consumer!

NP

still have these?

I really wish people would stop spreading false information.

You DO NOT need to pay ANYTHING extra per mo. to use smartphone GPS apps. Many provers now offer inclusive plans that DO NOT CHARGE FOR DATA!!!

My Boos mobile plan is $50 a mo. for unlimited data, unlimited call, unlimited texts. The price drops to only $35 a mo over time.

NP

Who's spreading false info? I was saying I can afford to spend $30/month for data plan but I don't need it. I'd rather save it or spend it on something else. How's that false?

I know. I didn't say you have to have data plan to use smartphone GPS. In fact I got a smartphone + Garmin apps and I have voice only plan (no data). My phone GPS works fine without data connection.

What some people are saying is the fact that most providers (ATT, Verzion, T-Mo, Sprint) require us to add data plan to our contract (prepaid is an exception) to use a smartphone in their network. Whether or not you use the GPS feature is irrelevant. You'll have to stay under the radar to avoid detection. If the provider detects your smartphone, they'll automatically add data plan into your plan.

Ok sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying then. Lots of people here seem to be under the impression that you can't use a smartphone GPS without paying extra for a data plan, and I'm trying to clear up that misinformation.

NP

Now I need to send my Swiss Army Knife back to the factory.

They say my oven bakes, broils, roasts, heats, drys, etc. Alton Brown would be proud of it.

Gary

so the problem is the wireless carrier.
are they trying to push switching away from GPSr, so they can charge $30/month if you use smartphone?

Have you ever tried to boil water in that oven? Wouldn't using a stove-top burner or microwave work better?

Five for five here !!!!!

Maybe I'm wrong, but I always thought that GPS chips in smartphones are using triangulation fromt he nearest towers to determine location. Do the latest smartphones get their data from satellites or are they using triangulation?

I've always been a huge proponent of PNDs simply because I travel a lot where cellular service is iffy or non-existent. Juust because my phone goes out, I don't want to lose navigation at the same time.

They can use both. Using the cell towers helps pinpoint people in buildings.

If you've ever tried navigating through the city with GPS built into a smartphone, you'll be diving into the dumpster to retrieve your Garmin. Slow data, slow refresh, small screen make it very difficult to use the phone. Also, try using it outside the city where there's no data.

They can do both - and which it does, and how well it does it depends on the apps used.

It's all about the app - choose wisely. Make sure the app loads a full mapset to the phone - and it will function without cellular data just fine.

@rodeophoto - what smartphone are you referring to in your post? Because current smartphones have fast data downloads, large screens and there are nav apps which avoid the cell coverage issue.

I don't know. What I do know is it doesn't make any sense to force smartphone users to have data plan. Some may argue what's the point of using a smartphone without data plan. I've heard that so many times. Well my answer is always the same, I don't need it or I don't want to be connected 24/7 wherever I go but I want to be able to use a smartphone over WiFi connection. At this point major US wireless carriers don't make it easy for us to do that. I consider myself lucky to be able to use a smartphone without data plan and undetected by my provider. Keeping my fingers crossed that it stays this way for a long time.

I'd be mad if my cell provider tried to force me to buy a data plan! Using wi-fi is great when it's available, but for those who don't need or want a data plan you shouldn't be forced to buy one.

This is yet another reason why I use prepaid/no contract cell providers--if they pull something I don't like I just port my number somewhere else....The good news is that the prepaid plans are really forcing the post-pay plans to much more customer-friendly pricing and terms!

NP

Boost Mobile Prepay!

$50 a mo unlimited talk, unlimited text, UNLIMITED DATA!

Pay your bill on time every mo. and get it reduced to only $35 a mo. No contract, no spendy data plans, top-rated prepay provider (NFI).

NP

Mine is the same way..Verizon. Must have a data plan. Luckily, I was in NY last week and I used my phone and my Garmin at the same time. They didn't always agree and frankly, I couldn't have got around very well without both of them on. It is hard to listen when they interrupt each other!

That is the cheapest I've heard. Unfortunately they're CDMA provider. I've been using GSM phones for the past 10 years or so and would like to stick with GSM phones for quite some time.

Wishes wishes.

Indeed.

GSM is the world standard. I've had it for about the same amount of time, and will never go back to CDMA. All my devices are unlocked, and I just buy local pre-paid sims when I travel. No roaming fees ever.

Agreed. I travel pretty extensively overseas, and I keep my Razr precisely for that reason--SIM cards are easy to buy, cheap, and quick to swap out. I liked being with T-mobile pre-pay because they would let you unlock one of their GSM phones after 6 mos. of usage where other companies wanted to charge hundreds of dollars to unlock their GSM phones.....

NP

wrong post. Please ignore.

Take it easy, Irish FX4, I plan on being around for a while yet.

Another technology that's going to finally die out any day soon now... Expensive, require regular maintenance, can be messy, drop it on the nib and it's destroyed -- why would anybody ever use one?

If you use a fountain pen, you know why they're worth the trouble. I suspect they'll be around still in another decade.

I miss having a fountain pen, regardless of price point.

They write exceptionally well, and in my mind make a statement that the person using one believes in quality over quantity.

And that column is one of them, and the guy predicting rapture is another.

"And as high-speed 4G cellular services roll out, more people will use their smartphones for broadband Internet, eliminating the need for a wireless router entirely."

Does she really think that 4G cell services will replace all internet broadband bandwidth that is currently furnished by cable, DSL, etc?

That was a key indicator of expertise for me.

Can you image what will happen to the cell system on weekend evenings when everybody is downloading and streaming HD movies? As it is now, cable systems can't support the load.

An old Japanese saying: If you believe everything you read, better stop reading.

There are different chips with different capabilities & capacities, and several different ways a GPS "chip" can be implemented and integrated with a cell phone and cell system, which can have enormous impact on the GPS capability that the end user experiences.

Just because a smartphone has a GPS chip doesn't mean the end user will have access to the full GPS chip capability and hence a rich GPS user experience.

Cell phones have had GPS chips for many, many years per mandated 911 location calling, and did not have any GPS nav capability available to the user.

my smartphones have always been more capable than any garmin i have owned. the GPS chip in a smartphone and antenna is far more sensitive and faster (thanks to aGPS) than any garmin.
its also waay more accurate in places with tall buildings where my garmins would always fall down. like in downtown NYC in the side alleys.

Perhaps the most important function of the cell system in support of GPS/aGPS smartphones is that the cell system acts as auxiliary GPS satellite ears that caches the GPS sat data so it can be quickly passed to a cellphone that enters that cell. That is faster than having to acquire satellite signals directly.

Left up to Darwin, the Dodo bird would eventually have turned into a Donedone bird.

is a pain. My son can't understand why I take so long to reply via text. His phone has a real keyboard, I have to push each number about 3 times to get to the correct letter.

You won't have to press a key 3 times or more to get the correct letter if you enable predictive text (T9) on the phone. I find it easier to compose a message with 9 keys (T9 capable phones) than it is with a full (real of virtual) keyboard.

I can do 40 wpm on my virtual KB, with 100% accuracy, and no 'text speak'. For me, T9 is slower.

One of the things that I really like about my Droid is that I feel safe texting (only when I have to...) while driving because of the speech-to-text feature on my Prevail.

If I'm driving and running Google Nav and a text comes in, all I have to do is push two buttons, speak my text message, and then hit send. So far, I'm very impressed with how accurate the speech-to-text engine is--even with road noise in the car.

It used to be if I was running late and someone texted me "where are you?" I felt like I had to pull over to safely reply, so the voice-text is really handy.

NP

...or any of the states at the link below.

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

Wouldn't it be easier to call back and tell them where you are?

Most states have a cell phone law where you must use a hands free device.

Most of my cool trips involved a trip to a location without cell phone service. Cell phone companies target highly populated areas but GPS will work in any area (if it can see the sky).

Not my Garmin... Can't wait for people to be lost using their smartphone in a dead spot. Wonder who's smart now?

I'm the biggest loser as I STILL use an 8-Track tape player.

Granted smart phones have some dead spots that Garmin devices have coverage for, those dead spots are diminishing over time as smart phone technology and the hardware in them improves at a rapid pace. Don't forget Garmin devices have dead spots too that smartphones have coverage in. Check out major cities with tall buildings or other places where the view of the sky is obstructed, you'd appreciate smart phones more in those instances.

True, Garmin has dead spots with tall buildings, but we can always go to a gas station to get directions. I personally have both but I currently trust my Garmin for my day to day usage. I would tap on my iphone if my Garmin map is not updated with the latest changes. I may just be fighting a losing battle but I did guess right with the Garmin beating out the PDA gps they that was being debated.