You might recall I was talking about doing realtime GPS updates to the web the other week. I've since been caught up with setting up Cisco Multilayer Switches and getting MIS to approve my network architecture, but my Pharos Pocket GPS Navigator with Bluetooth Wireless Technology arrived last week.

The intent is something like this where I query the GPS on a periodic basis, pass the latitude and longtitude to Terra Server and display the resulting map with a pushpin on my location. I'm planning on writing a simple OSX application on the PowerBook or a PalmOS app on the Sony Clie to do queries of GPS, pass the parameters, and update my website with the date/time, lat/long, thumbnail of the map with a link to a larger version. Since the GPS, Clie, Powerbook, and Motorola V600 are all bluetooth and the V600 shares an internet connection, I should be able to update from anywhere.

The Pharos iGPS-360 with Bluetooth dock (PT200) is pretty cool. The modular design allows the iGPS-360 to be used with a USB cable, a CompactFlash adapter, or in the Bluetooth dock. When the Bluetooth dock has a wireless connection active with another device, it glows a steady blue. Rather than using "Bluetooth serial port" as the default service, Pharos opted for "GPS RFcom" as the service name, which needs to be addressed as a COM port by connected devices. Given the unconventional service name, it isn't recognized by some devices without newer drivers.

Anyhoo... it's a fun start. I'm hoping to play with it this week and have something demonstrable by the end of next week. :)