GPS

wa8yxm wrote:
For many years I used Microsoft S&T on my laptop with a GPS dongle. Still have it on the laptop below this laptop (I switched to Chromebooks for web work, More secure, easier to fix if they get infected, cleaner, faster and Touch Screen Oh Cheaper too)

But my last few trips I have just fired up MAPS on my 'Droid phoen and let Google tell me where to go... More or less.

You still have to use your brain, I mean one spot Google tells me "Turn left" when I want to go straight.. but my brain tells me teh road I'm on curves to teh right so continuing straight is really a left turn....legally.

THe other advantage to Google Maps.. Well this is "I suspect" rather than I can prove.

As I drive I suspect Google tracks my progress. and that of all other Google Mpas users. NOt that they are "Big Brothering" me but they are watching for traffic trends.. Cause I'll be going along at 55mPH and suddenly Lola (Robin Williams's name for the GPS in the movie RV) will say "There is a 5 mintue back up 7 miles ahead due to an accident do you wish to take an alternate route that will save you 2 minutes (Generally no I don't easier to stay on freeway).

I now of no other GPS that advanced.

Most all of that traffic data is actually coming from Waze (which Google now owns) and the data is shared with Google Maps. I have measured the data used by both and WAZE uses about twice the data which sounds about right. WAZE is a social Network and you agree to share your information about location and speed plus you are able to indicate the location of a crash, police activity, traffic slow downs and much, much more.
I mentioned that WAZE uses twice the data but the amount of data used is still extremely small. On a 250 mile trip WAZE used about 30 Mb and Google only used 15Mb. That's not going to dig deep into anyone's data plan.