MyTopo.com, a popular website for ordering custom-centered waterproof topo and aerial photo maps, today announced that its customers can now upload GPS data online, preview it on their screens as an overlay on a topo or aerial base, and then order large-format prints of their fully customized maps. car navigation
MyTopo.com’s new GPS Map Design Center ™ will give everyone with a GPS device the ability to publish custom maps, without the need to purchase expensive mapping software and plotters. The company has decided that it will not charge customers extra to overlay data; the price will remain $9.95 to $29.95 per map, depending on the size of the map ordered. (Bulk order pricing available.)
“This is a technical breakthrough we have been working towards for many years,” said Kevin Toohill, founder and chief technology officer of MyTopo.com. “It has been a long-time goal of ours to allow anyone with a GPS device or who knows specific GPS coordinates to overlay that data on a custom-centered United States Geological Survey (USGS) topo or aerial map.”
The company believes the GPS Map Design Center ™ will be useful for people who have collected GPS data and would like to have that information displayed on a large map. MyTopo currently offers three map size options: its small maps, which measure 18” x 24”; the traditional 24” x 36” size; and a large wall map, which measures 36” x 44”. Customers can center their maps any place in the United States, precisely over their property, hunting camp, or recreational area; choose the scale of the map; and the paper the map will be printed on (waterproof, glossy or laminated). Customers can also choose to give the map a unique title and have their name and/or logo printed on it.
“Our vision is to empower people who are the leading edge enthusiast in their field, whether it be as big game hunters or backcountry hikers, fishermen, or the more niche areas like balloonists, geocachers, geologists, you name it; to go out and collect GPS data that they can then publish on a high quality topo or aerial base map to give or resell to others,” said Toohill. “We also think this service will be valuable to professionals who need GPS data on maps but do not want to spend time learning to use mapping software and plotters. I have talked with people who use maps to site cell towers, develop real estate, lawyers who use GPS data to map out crime scenes and even military group leaders who use topo maps and aerial photo maps for training purposes who are excited about the service. We think we’ll see the Center being used by these folks as well as people like adventure race course designers and directors, scout leaders, outfitters and guides, search and rescue coordinators and anyone who needs to point out specific geographic features on a geo-referenced map for others to use.”
The GPS Map Design Center will be developed in stages. This past weekend it went live for users of Trimble’s Outdoor Navigator software, which is sold as a companion to Garmin and Magellan GPS devices and Nextel Phone/GPS users. This robust software allows users to plan trips, record text, upload photos and upload and download GPS data into trip diaries. Users of this software have an option to print a large-format map via MyTopo.com’s GPS Map Design Center that has their waypoints, trails and tracks overlaid on a high quality USGS-based topo map.car GPS navigation
The Center is also available now to anyone who has Topografix free or pro version software that converts their GPS information into the .GPX file format. .GPX files can then be uploaded to the MyTopo.com GPS Map Design Center for overlay on a topo or aerial base map. Maps made via Garmin’s Mapsend software and then converted into the .gpx file format can also be uploaded the MyTopo.com GPS Map Design Center.
Customers will eventually be able to use the Center by simply typing in GPS coordinates they would like displayed on their maps, but this functionality has not yet been added.
1) Type in the location nearest to the area you would like to be the center of your map, and when the search engines finds it, click on it to pull it up on the screen.
Step 2) Center your map, choose whether you would like the base map to be a topo or aerial photo, and choose the scale of the map
Step 3) Upload a .gpx file and click to preview the map, recenter if necessary
Step 4) Title Your Map GPS
Step 5) Choose the map’s size and paper, and proceed to checkout!
MyTopo.com began allowing people to make custom-centered topographic maps online in 1999. The company has since added aerial photo maps, several map sizes, new scale and grid choices, and “has made the process to order maps nearly foolproof,” according to company officials.
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GPS (Global Positioning System) consists of a network of geo-synchronous satellites scattered around the world. The satellites send out a time-stamped signal toward the earth. The GPS receiver, as its name implies, receives a signal from the satellites. It does not, however, communicate back with it. Because the satellites overhead are at different distances from the receiver, it takes longer for some satellite signals to reach the receiver than others. The time gap represents a distance.car navigation
So now with a little math the device can triangulate its own location. This is very similar to how the epicenter of an earthquake is determined. To learn more about how GPS works check out the great article on HowStuffWorks.com.
If you consider your video iPod to be your most highly prized possession, then you will eventually want to get some kind of video iPod accessories to spice things up or to make it more functional. You can find all sorts of cheap ipod video accessories online, even clothing made from waterproof fabric that will protect your iPod from meeting a watery demise.
This article takes a look at some video iPod accessories (and accessories for other models) that you might want to consider picking up. The video iPod is brilliantly designed, and few MP3 PLAYERS can match its style. But as cool as it already looks, it can hardly be called unique anymore. If you don’t want your iPod to look like everyone else’s iPods, you might want to try video iPod accessories like skins.MP3 PLAYER
They have accessories for the video iPod, Nanos, and older models. You can find a wide assortment of skins to inject some of your personality into your iPod there as well. They have a lot of interesting skins to choose from, including ones with different themes.MP3
If you want serious protection, You can find replacement parts along with parts installation guides in case you want to fix a damaged iPod yourself. On a practical note, you can also find cheap ipod video accessories like ear buds, remotes, fire wire cables, screen protectors, etc. You’ll be able to get anything you need, so check it out today!