Subscribers: And The Winners of our Arkon Competition Are...

A big thank you to Arkon for donating the prizes for our last competition!

The answer to the last competition question was 'Precise Positioning Service'. Are you the lucky winner? Click here to find out...

This time our sponsor is Valueteq.

Valueteq are a UK distributor for Evermore GPS offering GPS receivers, marine GPS smart antennas, timing devices, engine boards for end user design and the Moremapper GT800 series. Evermore products can be used for applications such as land / marine navigation, fleet management, vehicle tracking and time synchronization control.

Now is your chance to win 1 of 10 Moremappers. The Moremapper GT800BT is a dual purpose datalogger and GPS receiver (Pocket GPS review). It records trip routes, and allows you to easily add photos to their GPS locations to create a trip journal. Use the cmoremap website to create a blog, making it easy to share trip or outdoor activities with friends.

Click here to enter the competition and try your luck!

Would Your Company Like to Sponsor a Competition? If so, please email marketing @ PocketGPSWorld.com with your prize offer and for more information.

Posted by robert on Monday, January 05 @ 16:51:02 GMT

Subscribers: Pocket GPS Launches Russian Speed Camera Alerts

Pocket GPS are delighted to announce an arrangement with the Russian GPS website GPS Club that allows us to offer Russian Speed Camera Alerts free with our standard, fleet and bulk license packages

The database contains 2298 fixed and mobile camera locations and is available for our members to download from the next database release (7th January 2009). The cameras are part of the European database download.

As usual, we ask our community to help us keep the data as up to date as possible. Please click here to add new cameras and change or remove existing cameras.

We are continuing to award dozens of FREE life memberships every month for verified new speed camera spottings. Free lifetime downloads are easily achievable - the criteria for safety camera submissions that qualify for lifetime membership was significantly expanded...Click here to read more and discuss...

Posted by robert on Saturday, January 03 @ 12:15:43 GMT

Subscribers: Video Tutorial: Installing the PGPS Speed Cameras on TomTom

For some time now we have been trying to find ways to explain how to install and configure SatNavs in an easy to understand manner suitable for users of all skill levels. The written guides have evolved over the years and are very good, but sometimes just seeing how it is done is much easier.

We have been trialing methods to present a video tutorial, and after many itterations we have arrived at our first effort for TomTom devices. Hopefully this will help by taking you through the installation in a step by step process explaining each step as we go.

Video Tutorials #1 Installing Speed Cameras on a TomTom
Click here for a quicktime movie, or click here for a Windows Media video.

Click here to discuss...

Posted by Mike Barrett on Thursday, January 01 @ 10:49:32 GMT

News: Happy New Year! A look back at 2008...

Well 2008 has been anything but dull. We have certainly enjoyed the year at PocketGPSWorld.com, and look forward to another technology filled year in 2009.

May I take this opportunity to thank everybody for the support (and understanding) over the last year. I particularly want to extend our thanks to all the moderators and verifiers who help us run the site. And I must not forget Maft who does a sterling job maintaining the Speed Camera Database...

Myself, Darren, and Rob wish you all a happy and prosperous 2009 from PocketGPSWorld.com.

Well yet another year has rushed past and what an exciting year it has been. We have had mergers and takeovers, some familiar names have fallen by the wayside, and GPS devices just keep getting better and cheaper...

This year for me was all about connected devices and the long awaited GPS iPhone.

Click here for our GPS review of the events of 2008...

Click here to discuss...

Posted by Mike Barrett on Thursday, January 01 @ 10:38:38 GMT

News: North Yorkshire Ponders its First Fixed Speed Camera

Grahame Maxwell, the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire, has hinted in his New Year message that his patch may be about to install its first fixed speed camera.

He says "We need to continue the push to make our roads safer - we did really well in 2008 with more than a 20 per cent reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured. Who knows, perhaps this new year will see the first safety camera installed in the force area?"

North Yorkshire is only one of two remaining forces in the UK - the other is Durham - that don't currently use fixed speed cameras. A spokeswoman for Durham Police confirmed to Pocket GPS World today that they still had no plans to introduce them. Both forces already make regular use of mobile cameras.

Click here to discuss...

Posted by robert on Wednesday, December 31 @ 13:28:14 GMT

News: As Many as 40% of UK Speed Cameras Could be Inoperative

The Mirror Newspaper has approached all of Britain’s police forces to ask how many speed cameras were unused.

Although many forces failed to respond or refused to answer their questions, the newspaper did glean some revealing figures:

Within the...

* Met Police Force Area, 323 out of 744 speed cameras are not working

* West Midlands Force Area, 191 out of 281 speed cameras are not working

* Avon and Somerset Force Area, 14 out of 63 speed cameras are not working

The Mirror quotes a Met source: "Loads of cameras were put up in the 90's but when new guidelines were set out six or seven years ago about where Gatsos could be put, loads of them didn't meet the criteria. They have been left in place to scare motorists. They have a deterrent effect and encourage safe driving."

Click here to discuss...

Posted by robert on Tuesday, December 30 @ 19:27:33 GMT

News: UK Report Calls for GPS Speed-Limits for Cars

The Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT), has called for the voluntary use of driver-assistance systems in cars. They claim that fitting speed-limiting devices could prevent up to 29% of accidents that result in injuries.

The government advisory body reports that the benefits in introducing intelligent speed adaptation (ISA) would include helping to save lives and reducing carbon emissions. The system would bring local speed-limit information into the vehicle, automatically slowing it down to abide with the given limit for the current road it is travelling.

The devices will use GPS to check a vehicle's location within a speed zone. If it exceeds the speed limit, its power will be automatically reduced and the brakes applied if necessary. Something I'm not sure I'd be happy with if I was in the middle of an overtaking manoeuvre!

Click here to discuss...

Posted by robert on Tuesday, December 30 @ 16:43:23 GMT

News: Villagers to be trained to use speed cameras

According to the Hunts Post the residents of St Neots in Cambridgeshire will be trained to use free-standing tripod speed cameras.

They report that 'Speed Watch' will be run by local volunteers and supported by Cambridgeshire police. The initiative aims to re-educate drivers about the dangers of speeding.

Although not sanctioned as a law enforcement activity, anyone caught speeding will receive a letter telling them they've been 'caught' and should slow down in the future.

Click here to discuss...

Posted by robert on Tuesday, December 30 @ 10:47:41 GMT

Reviews: Otterbox iPhone Impact series skin review

The iPhone looks like it was designed for a life in a velvet cushioned purse. From an outdoors perspective the iPhone is rather disappointing.

Otterbox, on the other hand, are all about the big outdoors. They have provided protective cases and waterproof cases for just about every electronic device worth using outdoors. Some of the cases are generic while others are tailored to a particular device.

Let's look at the Impact series protective skin for the iPhone 3G. The name of this case brought a smile to this writer's face, and the assistant testers (aka kids) were just too happy to take Otterbox up for the challenge.

Click here to read the review...

Click here to discuss...

Posted by Lutz Bendlin on Monday, December 29 @ 16:12:30 GMT

Subscribers: The Latest Lifetime Members

Every time we release the PocketGPSWorld.com Speed Camera Database we award those subscribers whose reports met our qualifying criteria a FREE Lifetime Membership to the site. We will publish the names of those who achieved the award following each release.

Of the 37 unique submitters who were first to make qualifying reports for this weeks database release (6.124) congratulations are due for the following 22 members who have just been awarded a FREE Lifetime Subscription:

• adamf
• andyh6969
• AxleGrease
• baz57
• Bejay
• bennie919
• Clive
• fattony1968
• garyxm80
• gboverend
• kdw160
• mcqueen
• ozelmer
• pendlemac
• piperdi
• prthomas
• Ravenger
• rebbel
• rhomulus10
• smeg1
• tomster
• whitey53

News: 2008's Top 25 Speed Camera Stories

What do Muppets, frowning road signs, punking your enemies and 17 tonne tanks have to do with speed cameras? Read on...

Speed Cameras have featured heavily in the media throughout 2008, so we thought that we'd condense a whole year of news just in case you missed anything.

We include a BBC video of speed cameras causing crashes, teens using speed cameras to get revenge and proof that the French can be polite.

Click here to read more, comment and discuss...

Posted by robert on Saturday, December 27 @ 18:59:36 GMT

News: Happy Christmas from the PocketGPSWorld.com Team

Whilst I catch a breath between answering support emails and forum posts can I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas from all of us here at PocketGPSWorld.com.

I hope you all have a great holiday, have lots of gadgets to play with and don't forget to save the instructions for later!

If you have any questions we're here in the forums so post away and if not, have a virtual glass of champagne on us.

Posted by Darren Griffin on Thursday, December 25 @ 09:44:55 GMT

News: Track Santa - Real Time Tracking via Google Earth

Now something of a regular, something for the kids (young and old alike!), it's time for our Track Santa news item once again.

Starting near the International dateline at Suva, Fiji and ending at Nome, Alaska, track Santa along his route encompassing 569 world cities and flying over 272,000 kilometers. When will Santa make it to your house? Have you been good?

All you need to participate is Google's FREE Google Earth application available here and the "Naughty & Nice" placemark layer.

Start by visiting here to download the Google Earth .kml layer.

And on behalf of all at PocketGPSWorld may we wish you a Merry Christmas - Enjoy!

Click here to discuss...

Posted by Darren Griffin on Wednesday, December 24 @ 10:47:15 GMT

The PocketGPSWorld.com International Speed Camera Database Has Just Been Updated

Version 6.124 - 24 DEC 08

This final release of 2008 sees 116 static and mobile speed cameras added/modified across the various speed camera databases. Please keep submitting all sightings of mobile speed cameras so we can keep our database up to date with active sites. Apparently-inactive sites are regularly removed from the database.

Please click here for the full breakdown of country, speed camera type and number. All members submitting qualifying reports of static/mobile speed cameras will be credited with lifetime memberships by 17:00 29 Dec 08.

The Garmin GPSR database is now up to date (10.39pm, 27 Dec 08)

Dont forget our RSS feed which is updated every time we release the speed camera database. Simply right click on the RSS image and select copy shortcut, then post the link into your favourite RSS reader.

The speed camera submission page and download page can be found by clicking here. You can submit new speed cameras in one of two ways - either an OV2 file created by POICapture or individual camera locations.

A beginner's guide to the speed camera database can be found here, and some installation instructions for most units can be found here.

Please watch for further announcements on the homepage or sign up to our occasional newsletter alerts which carry full details of future speed camera database releases. The newsletter signup box is located on the top left of all site pages. Your privacy is important to us, we do not sell on your email details.

Posted by maft on Wednesday, December 24 @ 00:10:36 GMT

News: SatNavs and Speed Cameras: Lies, Damn Lies And Statistics?

2008 has been choc-a-block with UK drivers' surveys, so we thought we'd bring together a few of them to give you a small insight into British attitudes to road safety.

SatNavs often get the blame for accidents. The media often cite incorrect or inappropriate SatNav commands for misdirected cars driving into rivers or lost lorries colliding with buildings. The blame of course rests firmly with those who blindly follow all routing instructions without engaging their brain.

SatNavs aside, surely road signs should be followed to the letter? One survey confirms that many drivers are unable to decipher road signs let alone make intelligent decisions about them.

Benjamin Disraeli famously said: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." Which of the following statistics do you believe?

We start with a spate of recent insurance company surveys that get a bit closer to the truth behind why there are so many accidents. They also give an insight into our attitude towards speed and speed cameras.

Click here to read more and discuss...

Posted by robert on Saturday, December 20 @ 17:45:00 GMT