1435833
story
freitasm writes
"Geekzone is reporting on Ike, made by Surveylab. Ike is a handheld data capture device that integrates GPS, an electronic compass, a laser distance meter, an inclinometer, a digital camera, and a Pocket PC 2003 handheld in a single unit, ideal for GIS and other surveys."
I like it... (Score:2, Interesting)
I can see this being used by lots of folks probably not in the original target market: professional hunting guides. All in one unit rangefinder/gps/camera? Make it durable and I bet the hunting crowd would be all over them.
Been waiting my whole life! (Score:4, Interesting)
Could be useful to golfers (Score:4, Interesting)
I've always been at a loss to tell them what they could use, at least when it came to handheld optical devices.
Too much real-world value (Score:5, Interesting)
We just bought a few acres of land, and this device would have been the ideal tool for the surveyor. It's clear from the discrepancies between the survey drawing and the aerial views [dfwmaps.com] that the surveyor made his measurements, wrote them down, then made his drawing from his notes. The numbers are right, but the outlines of the buildings aren't quite where they should be.
This device, plus a windoze PC with appropriate software, will let the surveyor simply walk to the survey points, point & shoot, hotsync, and print. It's just what the surveyor needs to do his/her job.
So it's obviously too useful to be a geek toy.
wardriving... (Score:3, Interesting)
See here [agentgreen.org].
I never found my PocketPC all that great for usage w/the GPS (I am using PocketPC 2002 though). I have constant stability issues and in the extreme temps we experience here (it got down to -22 without windchill in January) the PocketPCs just don't hold up well enough.
Sounds like a plowshare. (Score:4, Interesting)
Look at the target, center the crosshairs, read the *target's* GPS co-ordinates (or dump them into the battle net).
Re:Could be useful to golfers (Score:4, Interesting)
The $20 version simply has markings, similar to a rifle scope, where the user simply matches the height of the pin to the markings and reads the result. The farther away, the smaller the pin.
A $20 version that uses no batteries is often far better suited for most golfers, imho. The only time it's not as useful is when the pin is missing or non-standard size.
Archaeology (Score:5, Interesting)
war-walking (Score:2, Interesting)
Aside from the included hardware, just add a WiFI card with the Prism II chipset and the homemade antenna of your choice, and you're off to the races. This is the first all-in-one handheld wardriving unit I've heard of.
Perfect for Geocaching! (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2, Interesting)
For more information on GPS technology check out GPS equipment manufacturer FAQs [novatel.com]