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Having only recently entered the world of in-car GPS navigation I have to say I’m reasonably impressed… and on a number of levels.

Firstly, having been the ‘uber-geek‘ in the past (and modest too…), I’m pleased that on this occasion that I haven’t had to contribute much to research and development in this particular area. You know how it goes… first in the ‘buy line’ and you pay £500 for something that is worth £100 in a few months/years time… i.e. you get to help fund the R&D releases… I am not going to admit how much I paid for my first CD player… oh ok, A$1000 :-)

With ‘SatNag’ (a great ‘language short’ for - SatNav - offered by a best mate) I’ve entered the frey pretty much on the “matur’ish end of the curve”, where, decent kit can be picked up for around £100…

And the whole, “you’re holding this thing in your hand which can figure out exactly where you are on the planet” thing.., is a little mind-bending actually.

And, of course, I’m not alone. As I work in other zones to explain something of my views on Internet influences & effects - I have not missed that a GPS r/evolution is happening… How ‘far out’ is Geo-Caching, or Geo-Tagging? The simplest version of GeoTagging being properly locating where your photos are taken when using Flickr… everything on the Internet “geotag’d”. Wow, THAT’S metadata :-)

Auto-routing has to be the most comical feature to be included in these devices though does’nt it? Already I’m finding that owning a ‘SatNag’ is going to provide immense amounts of comic relief in what might otherwise be stressful UK driving conditions. On the basis of 3 days experience my first piece of advice is to ensure you always have a *very* good *printed* map in the car… And better still, ensure you actually have the faintest clue about where you are going… ;)

I took my Uncle Eric out to lunch the other day at a favourite local pub - the Jenyns Arms - and you are not going to ‘drive by’ this pub… it’s hidden in deepest, darkest Norfolk :P

Anyway, on the way home, as a test - I have driven this road umpteen times - I let ‘SatNag’ work out where we were going - and for comedy followed obediently…

To surprise (particularly Eric’s) it took me up Sandy Lane - a two rut goat track through the back of nowhere (well, to be fair Denver) instead of along a perfectly service-able *paved* road through the centre of the village…

“‘SatNag’, better pack your wellies…” suggests best mate…

Today, having dutifully trawled all possibilities for said new ‘techo-gadget’ I find myself with all sorts of ‘Points of Interest’ (POIs) loaded to said device… If you’re on the hunt for such stuff PocketGPSWorld and GarminPOI aren’t bad places to start. But I digress…

So, says me (now GPS savvy, of course :-)), ‘nearest Castle’, and bundles into car and off I go to, apparently, Castle Rising. Meandering along ok, know roughly the area I’m in anyway so non-nonchalantly listening to ‘SatNags’ - “second exit on roundabout” etc - until I’m goat tracking again… Ok, comic relief…

Until I noticed that I’m now past the “Castle” - which frankly in Castle Rising’s case is pretty hard to miss - and ‘SatNag’ is chuffing me through town out to … where?…

Me, thinking quickly (I’m like that…), that *I’m* actually in control of the car, stops…
Checks ‘SatNag’ as far as where does ‘he/she’ *think* we are going…
Ah, problem, Point of Interest (POI) entry thinks we are going out into ‘the Wash‘ somewhere… helps if you actually give the SatNav the right GPS co-ords in the first place… Shaun presses ‘Stop’ and decides to self navigate…

“‘SatNag’… hope you were towing a boat for destination…” suggests best mate…

Gadgetz… Where am I?

Moral of the story…

Never know… ensure you have maps, wellies, and are towing a boat…
and… actually have the right data for where you are going…
and… “Are you prepared for a snow drift?” enquires best mate…

Never know… could end up anywhere with ‘SatNag’… :P