| One of the places that gadgets are becoming | | | | Positioning System allows users to determine |
| increasingly popular is in the great outdoors. It | | | | where they are, often within a dozen feet or so, |
| used to be that people flocked to the wilderness | | | | instantly without having to use a compass and |
| in an effort to escape man made things and a lot | | | | make complicated calculations. This system is |
| of the luxuries and nuisances associated with | | | | based on signals that come from satellites in |
| more advanced technology. Now though many | | | | geosynchronous orbit around the Earth, so the |
| technological gadgets have become so light weight | | | | signals are available just about anywhere. |
| and useful that many hikers, boaters, mountain | | | | Now there are GPS devices that combine |
| bikers, backpackers, skiers, snow shoers, and | | | | navigation features with other information |
| mountaineers see no reason not to bring a lot of | | | | available from satellite signals. A great new |
| compact luxuries along into the back country. | | | | example of a device that bundles satellite |
| Some types of technologies lend themselves | | | | technology features together is the Bushnell |
| especially well to being used in the woods because | | | | Weather Tracker ONIX 400. This device not only |
| of their light weight and their ability to function | | | | has the navigation capabilities of a typical GPS (the |
| without the support of other types of | | | | ability to determine position, speed, number of |
| technologies. For example, many people do not go | | | | miles traveled, etc.), but it also comes with access |
| into the wilderness without a mobile phone for | | | | to XM satellite radio channels and satellite based |
| safety reasons. In this case, the fact that mobile | | | | weather information. This unit is so advanced that |
| phones are so light weight that they make sense | | | | it will even layer weather data over the map |
| to carry even though they don't necessarily work | | | | that's displayed on the screen of the device so |
| in places where tall, steep mountains would get in | | | | that you can see where a new weather system |
| the way of finding a tower signal. Fortunately | | | | is coming from. In many ways, the advanced |
| most people don't go very deep into the | | | | warning that the Weather Tracker ONIX 400 can |
| wilderness, so a mobile phone still makes sense to | | | | provide for outdoors people is a much better |
| carry. | | | | safety device than any mobile phone because it |
| For people whose adventures take them farther | | | | allows them to avoid trouble to begin with- which |
| afield, satellite technology offers a good way to | | | | is preferable to having to contact someone for |
| stay connected. For instance, if one wants to | | | | rescue after getting into trouble. |
| have a way of contacting the outside world in | | | | For times when an excursion doesn't involve |
| case of emergency, a satellite phone is a much | | | | emergencies, the XM satellite radio feature will |
| better choice than a mobile phone because a | | | | provide an ever varying soundtrack for |
| satellite phone will still work in places where there | | | | adventure. This GPS/satellite radio/weather |
| are too many miles or mountains in the way of | | | | forecasting device is a good example of how |
| getting a tower signal. | | | | different features can be combined into a truly |
| Perhaps even more popular than satellite phones | | | | superior and useful gadget. |
| is GPS technology. GPS, which stands for Global | | | | |