Honda Motorbikes: Bikes in the Fast Lane: Top Internet Stories

Friday, February 15, 2013

Bikes in the Fast Lane: Top Internet Stories - 15 February 2013 plus 2 more

Top Internet Stories - 15 February 2013
GPS: New GPS Technology Being Developed For More Accuracy
And How Was Your Valentine Day In 2013?

Top Internet Stories - 15 February 2013

Posted: 15 Feb 2013 08:00 AM PST

I hope you had a nice Valentine day, with lots of secret admirers. In the mean time, motorcycle articles didn't stop, so here are a few interesting ones I've been reading over the last week.

- 10 Tips For Choosing A Motorcycle Helmet (Schuberth Blog)
- Buying A Pre Owned Used Motorcycle (Motorcycle Blog From Jafrum)
- Vigilantes Fighting Revenue Driven Traffic Enforcement (The Telegraph)

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GPS: New GPS Technology Being Developed For More Accuracy

Posted: 15 Feb 2013 04:00 AM PST

Riding around with a GPS on your motorcycle can be heaven-sent for bikers who adventure further than their normal day-to-day route. Memorizing routes, unfolding paper maps, tearing them, etc are ways of the past. Plug in your GPS and follow the female/male voice to your destination. Easy.

It sounds great, and many of you do exactly that. But many of you also know what happens when you've reached a big city and need to navigate the narrow streets, often one way, with tens of intersections. The tall buildings block the GPS signal, and with only 1 or 2 satellites tracking your efforts, your accuracy is reduced from 50 feet (15 meters) to 165 feet (50 meters) or even 0 feet (0 meters). 165 feet of accuracy means you'll miss that important road you had to turn into. Not that it's a big issue, since the GPS will recalculate and bring you back the way you should go. The same applies to tunnels, thick forests, etc. But if you're in a hurry, it can be a pain.

Many cars are using a built-in gyroscope and speedometer data to "estimate" your position during these GPS blackouts, but although they do work, they are far from accurate. The Spanish university Carlos III in Madrid have come up with a small device that is added to your GPS (and could be incorporated in future units), consisting of 3 accelerometers and 3 gyroscopes, and combined with your GPS, allow for an accuracy of 3.3 feet (2 meters) in an urban environment...........

...........Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......

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And How Was Your Valentine Day In 2013?

Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:00 PM PST