Free GPS Software
I took a look at some of the online offers for free GPS software and found, like many "free" offers there were often limits and provisos involved. Often the freeware is a scaled--down version of purchasable products. Sometimes the free product has restricted functionality with features disabled, other products are trial--based and are disabled after a certain time (hours or days or use).
An example of limited free GPS software can be found at GPS Utility. The downloadable freeware is limited 100 waypoints and 500 track points. (There are 65,000 of each in the registered version of their program.) The free program gives you a good opportunity to try before you buy, and this is the benefit of most free programs.
There are online sites that list various free GPS software and describe how to use the programs after you download them. Often individuals who have used the programs themselves develop the sites. These are great because they give you an unbiased interpretation of the benefits and disadvantages of the programs before you use them.
Using free GPS software you can download programs that allow you to retrieve and display aerial photos, topographical maps, USGS landmarks. There are programs available that allow you import scanned images and add latitude and longitude points and other data.
Free GPS software downloads are available for PDA units that are capable of communication with GPS receivers. With these downloads you can have a useful navigation assistant, location database manager, and GPS data converter.
Programs to manage GPS waypoint and route files are available for both PC and Mac users. The waypoints and route files can be saved or converted to various formats used by other mapping programs.
If you need to transfer information to and from your GPS receiver and your home computer or laptop there are several free programs that allow you to do so. There are also programs that allow Garmin GPS receivers to "talk" to one another.
Many of the programs listed here are directed at the hiking/trekker community, but there are also free programs available for auto GPS systems and marine navigational systems. I found a couple of marine navigation programs that allow you to download nautical charts and plotters.
There are free GPS software programs that allow you to download street maps that might not be included in your auto--navigation system. If you intend downloading in--vehicle software, make sure that it has audio capacity, an essential safety factor for motorists. One such program offers data for several countries with voice guidance in twelve languages.
Free GPS software is also available for downloading to your cell phone. This is mostly tracking software and can be phone specific. You might want to check with your carrier before downloading anything to your cell phone to make sure that it does not incur extra charges.
As satellites are constantly moving, it is helpful to know the optimal time for data collection in your area. There is free GPS software that includes an almanac to let you know the availability of satellites at any given time.
Some of the free GPS software is brand specific. Programs designed for a Garmin receiver may not work for a Magellan, so check out the specifications carefully, especially if you intend purchasing a registered version after your trial period. Other software works with most brands.
About the author:
Anne King is a sports and recreation writer in Boise, Idaho. For a list of free GPS software, visit Maps GPS Info.com which also provides practical information on GPS and maps that everyone can use. The website includes product reviews and a maps/GPS glossary.
Free GPS Software
GPS Satelite Navigation : Find The Exact Location
The word GPS Satelite Navigation may sound a bit difficult to understand for many. Simplifying the word in one plain sentence, the satellite navigation system allows a electronic device to find out its exact location through satellite. The GPS navigation device lets you be aware of longitude, latitude and altitude of that electronic device where it is kept.
Possibility of satellite navigation was sensed first time in 1957, when Russia was launching his satellite Sputnik. In 1960s, USA Navy used the basic form of GPS Satellite Navigation when they used couple of satellites to track their the position of their sub-marines. But the real invention in satellite navigation came in 1970s when it was formally designed and developed by Department of Defense, USA, and was launched in 1978. Since then, the satellite navigation has seen several ages resulting into immense innovation.
Today, the uses of GPS Satelite Navigation have become very common, and are used in our everyday lifestyle extensively. Some of the fields where the its uses are prevalent are common vehicles like car, trucks, bikes, boats and ships, cell phones, airplanes, gliders, farming, land surveying, mapping, atomic clocks, and etc. As these utility are being used hugely in our everyday lifestyles, hardly are there are any fields untouched by the satellite Navigation.
The advanced form of satellite navigation is used in wars. By using GPS Satelite Navigation, fighter jets and planes get auto-pilot function, which helps air-force destroying enemy base without getting their soldiers hurt. No matter how advance the satellite navigation has become today, its nitty-gritty remains the same – it gives you information about the location and direction of the device you are looking for. Using this technology in relevant industries and practices can result in fruitful development of our society.
Vacation & Business Travel Essentials – Your PDA, GPS, and Translation Software
When vacationing in unfamiliar places, there's various consumer electronics and technologies that can help you enjoy the sites or stay focused on the business at hand. A PDA, GPS, and translation software are indispensable additions to your travel gear.
It's easy to add GPS antenna to your handheld. Equipped appropriate mapping software, your handheld becomes a powerful navigation instrument, eliminating the need to carry any additional hardware. GPS units are small, lightweight, and inexpensive add-ons available for every major brand of PDA, palmtop, and pocket PC (Palm, Visor, Jornada, iPaq, Cassiopeia, Clie, etc.).
A GPS is extremely useful when combined with digital street maps. GPS-equipped PDAs or laptops can generate instant, on-the-fly, turn-by-turn, moving-map directions as you navigate in unfamiliar territory. It is like having a co pilot navigator in the seat beside you with the accuracy of a local taxi driver. Missed turns can be a thing of the past. And because they are so unobtrusive and easy to use, they are less distracting (and thus safer) than using standard paper maps or printed turn-by-turn driving directions.
VACATION TRAVEL
Navigate to points of interest with your GPS including mapping software specific for the regions in which you travel. Find hotels, restaurants, gas stations, sightseeing points and much more, by simply selecting or entering the coordinates and letting your GPS receiver guide you there.
Avoid being scammed by unethical taxi drivers. With a GPS you know if a "short cut" really is a short cut and that you're not being taken on a longer route just to rack up a higher fare.
Your visit will be more fun with a GPS since it allows you to enjoy your experience without worrying so much about how to get around.
BUSINESS TRAVEL
When traveling for business you’ve got a lot to concentrate on and it is frustrating to try to follow a set of directions, or making sense of a map while driving to your destination. GPS navigation simplifies everything for you. While you concentrate on the road and the business ahead your GPS receiver guides the way.
With your receiver and mapping software you can avoid delays due to heavy traffic, construction work, or road accidents so that you will arrive on time and ready to do business. Your business is important so ensure that you arrive unflustered, unscathed and on time.
Some GPS units can give updates on your estimated time of arrival so you never have to wonder if you will I still make it on time to your destination when something unforeseen happens. Your GPS mapping software can show you the impact something will have on your schedule and so you can phone ahead to advise the other meeting participants of your new ETA. Frustrating uncertainties are avoided and the others do something more productive in the meantime than to wait and wonder when or if you will show up.
Translation Software
For those traveling overseas it can be a challenge to find your way around a new city, particularly when the signs are written in another language. With a GPS, you can record the location of where you want to go and then follow the direction arrow on the receiver's screen to find your way home. But what if you need to do more and communicating with the locals is a problem? This is where translation software comes in handy. Software can be loaded into you PDA and that makes it just as handy as a travel book but the PDA software can contain more info and useful search functions. Ectaco software products make in excellent choice.
GPS Navigation - A Must for Car Owners
GPS Navigation System is designed with a series of 28 satellites that are orbiting. Originally it was developed by the defense, but now popularly used by citizens too. If your car has a GPS unit, it receives signals from the satellite that help it to find where you are located.
The maps, that you generally see with the red dot, at site seeing areas, and shopping malls, showing you-"You Are Standing Here". That's exactly what a GPS navigation system is, except that it goes with you wherever you are moving in the world. It's not just functional on a building or event area. Moreover, it helps you to find and know where you would like to go. You just have to enter the destination you are looking for and it shows you the directions to reach there. Latest models will audibly guide you, and tell you nearby places of interest, gas stations and restaurants and also will get you back on right path when you are going the wrong way.
GPS Navigation System is designed with a series of 28 satellites that are orbiting. Originally it was developed by the defense, but now popularly used by citizens too. If your car has a GPS unit, it receives signals from the satellite that help it to find where you are located. General GPS units are precise only within few yards or meters, but the military and government GPS units are far more accurate. Your GPS unit will instruct you for another location if mapping software is installed, which most people do.
GPS Navigation System units are introduced as standard or add on equipment on new vehicles and cars. They are also found in many cars for rental, usually an extra charge is taken for this. GPS mapping software is the most popular in consumer usage today. If your basic aim in buying a GPS unit is to get you from one place to another through a reliable system of navigation, then this kind of unit is for you. Your dealer can fix it in your car or you can buy one that can be attached to your dashboard. Some attractive features you may choose are voice directions, maps with all the details for your area and any place you know you will be traveling, rerouting in case you get lost or detours.