Get Turn-by-Turn Directions with the PocketC.H.I.P. Navigator

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With a GPS module and a few minutes hacking, transform PocketC.H.I.P. into an open source TomTom-like dashboard navigation system. Installs in seconds. No pesky automotive wiring necessary. Pencil stand not suggested (on your dashboard).

Ever since Scott got PocketC.H.I.P. working with a GPS module and the GPSd software, I’ve wanted to setup offline turn-by-turn navigation on PocketC.H.I.P.. While there are a handful of options in Linux, I ended up going with Navit.

Navit is in the Debian package repository, so it’s quite easy to install on PocketC.H.I.P.. But due to the enormous number of options, configuring Navit can seem daunting. After getting the basics setup on my PocketC.H.I.P., I shared my progress with Jose who helped me get the config dialed in. Keep reading after the break for full instructions, plus our config file.

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Links We Like: Restoring a Xerox Alto, Reconsidering Cyberpunk, & Investigating the Sony PYXIS 360

Xerox Alto Photo by  Michael Hicks

Xerox Alto Photo by Michael Hicks

This week’s Links We Like follow Ken Shirriff restore a Xerox Alto, reconsider the future as told by cyberpunk fiction with Darran Anderson, and teardown the SONY PYXIS 360 portable GPS unit with Dave Jones.

If you’ve found any interesting links this week, make sure to share them in the comments below, or in our forum. We’re always on the hunt for new links to get lost in. Have a great weekend!

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Learn How the Community Created a PocketC.H.I.P. Cell Phone

Tony using a PocketC.H.I.P. cell phone that Dave built

Tony using a PocketC.H.I.P. cell phone that Dave built

Pocketeers Juve021 and Rob Baruch figured out how to turn PocketC.H.I.P. into a portable cellular device, and they wrote two great tutorials explaining how you too can build the project.

While we love creating PocketC.H.I.P. projects in-house like Jose’s speaker hack, PockulusC.H.I.P., and emulating Apple’s System 7, it’s extra exciting to see community members developing and sharing what they’ve done.

A great place to share your projects and ideas is in our forums. You’ll find daily posts, discussions, and tips on how to get the most out of your C.H.I.P. and PocketC.H.I.P.. And if you’re at a loss for what your first PocketC.H.I.P. project should be, it’s a goldmine for inspiration and full of friendly folks happy to help out. It’s a resource not to be missed!

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Get Your Bearings with this PocketC.H.I.P. and GPS Project

PocketC.H.I.P. + GPS = a seacoast hike navigation system

PocketC.H.I.P. + GPS = a seacoast hike navigation system

Combine PocketC.H.I.P. with a GPS module and know exactly where you are, wherever you are. (Unless, of course, you’re in a cave. GPS and caves don’t really mix.)

Scott, one of the NTC hardware engineers, was tinkering with a GPS module from our lab the other day, and in no time at all he had the little module output its longitude and latitude to PocketC.H.I.P.. This project takes about an hour if you’re new to soldering and software setup, and it’s a great way to expand the capabilities of PocketC.H.I.P..

GPS is an extremely powerful technology and with Scott’s project it’s pretty easy to enable PocketC.H.I.P. with GPS information. Since GPSd (the software you’ll learn how to use and setup) is an extremely customizable program, there are bound to be interesting ways you can extend this project and make it even better. For example, why not pull the coordinates from GPSd and feed them into the Pokemon tracker or figure out a way to pass the data to a PICO-8 game?

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