With the release of the 905i series of cellphones in Japan, the degree and quality of integration continues to improve. 3G network, GPS, high-definition TV, 5-mega-pixel camera, fast internet access, and even English-Japanese translation are included. Of all the integration factors we have talked about, only Bluetooth and WiFi are missing.
Quick to adopt
Planning a trip to an unknown location requires a lot of work. While sites often exist with helpful information, there is no single source which has everything. This is one area where community sites such as WikiTravel can help to fill in the gaps For now outside of major cities, the details are often insufficient. If such sites were as popular as Facebook, then more information than you could possibly want would be available on just about everywhere and in just about any language of interest. However, this level of information overload is far away.
Now that you know where to go, its time to prepare for the trip. What will the temperature be like? What vaccinations are recommended? Am I going during any national holidays? What type of money will I need? Do they drive on the left or right? Do I need to worry about any of their unique laws? When going abroad there are so many issues to deal with, it helps to prepare.
Vaccinations
Anytime you travel, pictures accumulate quickly. A few weeks after they are taken, you still have a good idea where each one came from. However, after a few months some of the place names start to fade, and the approximate location gets a bit hazy too. However, if you bring your GPS along, then determining where those pictures were taken becomes easy.
Geocoding the pictures
Geocoding is storing location coordinates with the picture.
Technology related to the Global Positioning System (GPS) has advanced significantly since the system was opened for civilian use in 1983. In the early 90’s my Garmin 45 GPS receiver took five minutes or more to lock onto enough satellites to get a position fix. If left unused for a few weeks it could take an hour to update its database and provide location information. Essentially it was good for primitive navigation over open terrain, such as out at sea. Today I have a Garmin Vista HCx which locks on in seconds and provides color mapping and car like navigation capabilities. With the ability to find location quickly, it is so much more practical to use. Today GPS can be found not just in specialized receivers, but on laptops, in cars, and even in cell phones. In this article, I will talk about using a GPS receiver as an aid in travel. In a later article, we will discuss areas where the overall experience needs improvement.
‘Tech Yet To Be’ has been going for over a month now. Over this time we have discussed: