Mapping Hacks

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Chapter 5, Mapping with Gadgets

#62 Build a Car Computer

HACK

scripts described here—for calculating centroids, generating SVG bubble

diagrams, and so on—are available on the site as well.

See Also:

• Intel Research’s free placelab product has GSM spotting capacities—see

http://placelab.org/

• Cellspotting is another collaborative cellstumbling resource—see http://

cellspotting.org/

HACK

#62

Build a Car Computer Hack #62

A project that will consume all your time and money, but make you the envy

of your nerd friends.

If you have not experienced driving with GPS navigation, you are missing

out on a great experience. It does not make much difference for your daily

commute, but when you are lost or just exploring a new area, a GPS naviga-

tion system can make a world of difference.

Right now, there are a number of ways to get GPS navigation in your car.

On the cheap end of the scale, you can buy a handheld outdoor GPS like

those made by Garmin or Magellan. For a little more money, there are units

that sit on your dashboard and have a larger screen and more storage space

for street data. If you have a laptop or PDA already, you can connect an

external GPS to it and run mapping software that will track your position

and provide driving directions. Finally, top-of-the-line navigation systems

come as an option in some new cars and sometimes can be purchased in the

form of aftermarket parts.

Of all these options, ...