Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
When thinking about the technology behind your global positioning system -- better known as GPS -- it's important to realize that there's more to it than the little devices placed in vehicles and in watches would imply. In fact, GPS technology is dependent upon at least 24 primary satellites that orbit the earth approximately twice per day. These satellites send signals to the earth for the benefit of consumers and the government -- but not all citizens are happy about how the government has used GPS for monitoring.
One of the charms of geocaching is the variety of tools used to hide a cache, including the use of creative hiding spots and hints. Garmin's Chirp transmitters are designed for use in geocaching, where you can use them to provide accurate geocache coordinates and even hints for the next cache. While a Chirp transmitter can be a reward for anyone hunting your geocache, consider a few factors before deciding to invest in one.
Groundspeak's release of an official geocaching app for the iPhone enables players to get into the sport without purchasing a separate handheld GPS device. The app also provides numerous extra features, such as the ability to look up cache information over the cell network. While the iPhone's GPS does not always provide the same degree of accuracy as a dedicated device, it serves adequately to get a player in the correct area for a cache, after which the hunt comes down to skill and experience, even as it does with a high-end GPS device.
When listing a newly hidden geocache, you need to give the cache two ratings: one for overall difficulty and one specifically for the difficulty of traversing the surrounding terrain. Ultimately, picking these ratings comes down to personal opinion, but Groundspeak provides some guidelines for how to rate your cache's terrain. You can also use the automatic rating tool on the geocaching website, which determines a terrain setting by asking a series of questions.
Making a ladder in Minecraft requires the use of three ladder blocks. Learn how to make a ladder in Minecraft with help from a video game expert in this free video clip.
Adding a stylish nautical theme to a pea coat, raincoat or any other jacket featuring a belt, the square knot is simple and quick to hitch up. Square knots -- also known as hitch or reef knots -- can be found in sea-themed bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry, but you can also bring this look into the rest of your wardrobe. Tying a coat's belt into a square knot requires little practice, is secure and adds visual interest to even the most basic of outerwear.
Dryopteris is a genus of ferns commonly called wood ferns. The group includes many species native to the northern hemisphere. The wood ferns, as a group, are adapted to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3a through 9b. As with ferns in general, wood ferns reproduce by means of spores rather than seeds.
Orientalism is defined as the influence of Asian, African and Middle Eastern motifs, patterns, textiles and color combinations in Western fashion. Eastern cultures and their aesthetics have symbolized exotic landscapes, romance and remarkable experiences to Westerners, and they have become a great source of inspiration for fashion designers since they were first introduced to the West.
TrueView is Magellan's trademarked 3-D mapping technology. TrueView provides you with a more realistic view of your route, including lanes and buildings. While it doesn't show you a true 3-D image or real images of your route, TrueView offers a more realistic approach to GPS directions versus text or a basic 2-D road with no surrounding details.
The giant leather fern (Acrostichum danaeifolium) is native to Florida and occurs elsewhere in the tropics outside the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the plant is hardy in plant hardiness zones 8b through 12b. As with so many things in nature, there are exceptions to the rules, but the giant leather fern generally follows a well-documented set of stages in its life cycle.
The genus Coffea contains more than 70 species, of which the two most important to commercial coffee production are Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora Pierre. Native to Africa, coffee trees produce beans that originally were ground and used to make porridge and wine. Because the trees were prolific in an area known as Kaffa, they were called Kafa, which some people believe resulted in the word "coffee," according to researchers at American University. Coffee trees have a longer life expectancy in the wild than they do in cultivation. Whether grown on a large plantation in Brazil, on a small, family-owned…
In electronic design, a series circuit is a chain of components connected one after the other. The total voltage of the circuit is simply the voltage value of each component added together. Because a circuit typically has a single voltage source and many components, the analog signal voltage flowing through each part is a fraction of the supply voltage, determined by Ohm's Law and other factors.
Knowledge of some basic rules for wilderness survival can help your children stay safe no matter what circumstances the wilderness throws at them. Even if a camping or hiking trip goes smoothly, everyone who uses a wilderness area benefits from fellow visitors who follow the rules of outdoor safety and behave responsibly and respectfully while enjoying the outdoors.
Geocaching with an Android smartphone has a number of clear benefits that shouldn't be ignored. Learn more about geocaching with an Android smartphone with help from a Microsoft certified technology specialist in this free video clip.
Draping a taco shell over a can in the oven is a really great way to make your own taco bowl at home. Drape a taco shell over a can in the oven to make a taco bowl with help from a personal chef in this free video clip.
One great way to make nice apple chips is through the careful use of a food dehydrator. Make apple chips with a food dehydrator with help from the owner of a raw foods restaurant in this free video clip.
Oriental pork soup can be made over medium high heat in the saucepan of your choice. Find out about oriental pork soup with help from a food host and private chef in this free video clip.
Every Kindle model has its own unique life cycle that you're going to want to know about before you invest your hard-earned money. Learn about the Kindle life cycle with help from an electronics expert in this free video clip.
Times sure have changed - building a castle these days requires little more than some construction paper and toilet paper. Build a castle out of construction paper and toilet paper with help from a graphic designer and illustrator in this free video clip.
You don't need to purchase expensive noisemakers before you head to a football game - you can make your own. Put together toilet paper roll noise makers for football with help from a graphic designer and illustrator in this free video clip.
Sock and toilet paper snowmen are very easy (and very fun) to make right at home. Make sock and toilet paper snowmen with help from a graphic designer and illustrator in this free video clip.
You need little more than toilet paper to put together a great mummy craft right at home. Learn about a mummy craft with toilet paper with help from a graphic designer and illustrator in this free video clip.
Making bowls and plates stay on a baby's tray is sometimes easier said than done. Find out how to make bowls and plates stay on a baby's tray with help from a family case worker in this free video clip.
The Garmin dashboard is an integral part of the Garmin official website. Use a Garmin dashboard with help from The GPS Wizard in this free video clip.
Using the Garmin unlock utility isn't nearly as difficult as you might be fearing. Use the Garmin unlock utility with help from The GPS Wizard in this free video clip.
The Garmin track log is a great way to take stock of exactly where you've been. Use the Garmin track log with help from The GPS Wizard in this free video clip.
The ways in which a GPS is useful simply cannot be understated. Find out why a GPS is useful with help from The GPS Wizard in this free video clip.
You can edit the voices that your GPS uses to give directions in a number of different ways depending on your preferences. Edit GPS voices with help from The GPS Wizard in this free video clip.
Certain GPS systems use Micro SD technology as a storage medium. Learn about GPS systems that use Micro SD cards with help from The GPS Wizard in this free video clip.
A GPS uses a variety of different instruments to help guide you to your destination. Learn about GPS instruments with help from The GPS Wizard in this free video clip.
All you need is tent material and a little bit of know how to make a perfectly acceptable hammock on the go. Make a hammock from tent material with help from the CEO of an outdoor gear and apparel retailer in this free video clip.
When the direction on concavity changes, you'll be able to recognize this by looking out for a few basic things. Find when the direction of concavity changes with help from a physics professional in this free video clip.
Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), also commonly known as betta fish, are familiar sights in the aquarium trade. Despite their flamboyant fins and bright colors giving them the look of a fragile, exotic species, Siamese fighting fish are actually hardy fish that breed readily in captivity.
Atomic force microscopy, or AFM, is a form of high resolution scanning used to scan specimens to determine their properties or qualities. The microscope consists of a cantilever or a sharp tip that is used to probe the surface of the item being mapped out. AFM can also be used to determine the pH level of a specific compound or substance.
Brick is a durable and attractive building material, commonly used as facing for exterior walls of houses. Because brick is solid, a brick façade wall provides a hard surface that reflects sound waves from outside. Brick facades are installed against wood-framed walls, usually with drywall finishing on the interior and some insulation and wood sheathing under the brick on the outside. Properly combining these elements can soundproof a brick façade wall.
The iOS 5 firmware update enables users to send iMessage text messages from an iPad tablet. With this feature Apple also included the ability to define the text tone on the device. If you use a third-party application to send VoIP SMS messages with your iPad, this text tone is applied to these messages as well. If you want to configure your iPad to whistle when you receive a Sipgate SMS message, you can do so through the device's Settings menu.
Apple’s iPad 2 lets you customize your map search to help you plan and navigate your next outing. The built-in “Maps” application reduces the need for fold-out paper maps or a bulky atlas. With broadband Internet and this digital guide in hand, you can interact with the iPad 2 screen to select viewing options, such as street maps of your current location, photographs of your next stop, and navigation assistance for your destination.
Adobe LiveCycle is a program that allows developers to keep their applications current. LiveCycle uses JavaScript and FormCalc to let you develop, code and deploy your applications. One of the more basic functions you'll need to learn is how to create, use and manage variables.
You can make a wireless camera transmit over 100 meters, or approximately 300 feet, but you might need an extra piece of equipment. Attach the camera to a peripheral device, such as a personal computer, and you can transmit content over even longer distances. Although some wireless cameras are capable of transmitting video content up to this distance without the need of outside equipment, most also require you to install software onto a computer or other viewing device to facilitate video transmissions.
On May 3rd of 2000, David Ulmer placed the first-ever geocache. He posted its GPS coordinates on a GPS user group online and challenged other users to find the black bucket he hid in the woods, record their names in the logbook within and exchange some of their items with the trinkets he hid inside it. Today, geocaching is a hobby of modern-day explorers who set out to find or hide similar caches all over the world.
Smartphones have replaced traditional paper maps as essential aids for reaching your destination. The latest models of Android phones and iPhones include GPS navigation and online mapping services, with additional capabilities available from third-party apps. Identifying your best option depends on where you're going and how you intend to get there.
If there's one thing that cats love to do its play with dangling objects like toilet paper rolls. Keep a cat from unraveling toilet paper with help from an expert in animal behavior in this free video clip.
Garmin offers a wide variety of maps to supplement the basic maps that come preinstalled on most of its GPS units. You can transfer these maps, which are available from Garmin's website, directly onto your Garmin GPS device via a direct USB connection or by transferring them onto a SD or microSD card. Garmin's Canadian maps are available for road, trail, water and city exploration. Garmin provides detailed information about what GPS units each map is compatible with on its website.
While many GPS units contain basic map information, they do not have the space to store detailed maps of the entire world at once. Magellan's MapSend software allows Magellan GPS owners to select regions of detailed maps to transfer to their GPS units. For most Magellan units, the MapSend program will also perform the transfer to your GPS via USB, but users of eXplorist model GPS will need to use the included Magellan Conversion Manager to complete the process.
Cisco’s Flip line of video cameras offer several features, such as one- or two-hour recording times, the ability to view recorded HD video on television and, when connected to a PC via USB cable, the ability to record video to your computer via pre-loaded FlipShare software. You can make your Flip camera motion-activated with the use of Dorgem, an open-source application that allows motion capture. Connecting your Flip to your PC with a wireless USB allows you to place the camera at points away from the computer that, if used for monitoring, allows for greater concealment.
Blizzard's massively multiplayer online role-playing game “World of Warcraft” is often staggering in scope. At the time of publication, this virtual fantasy world has more than 11 million subscribers – more people than the population of Cuba – and encompasses roughly 1,400 locations. Cartographer, known for its Waypoints feature, serves as a free add-on – or “mod” – for “WoW” that helps players navigate the realm of Azeroth.
When learning about the life cycles of different organisms, children generally learn about the life cycle of at least one plant, such as an apple tree. The apple tree's life cycle is made up of four parts -- seed, seedling, tree and blossom -- that children can easily learn through the use of simple activities.
If you have an area in your home with a sloped ceiling, creating a canopy effect can add an elegant and romantic touch. Because of the angle of the ceiling, using a plain four-corner canopy isn't recommended, as the fabric would simply fall all in one area and appear bunched. A hoop canopy is able to hang anywhere in your home with balance, so the fabric will fall evenly around the sloped ceiling area. Hoop canopies can be found in home stores and online.
Being an inexpensive option, fir wood is often employed in building and furniture making and it has a specific grain pattern. Salvage the root of a fallen fir tree and create a practical object that adds a rustic appearance to your home. The irregular patterns and knots that exist in fir tree roots will enhance the beauty of the bowl you make. As a beginner, use green wood, if available, because dry fir wood is hard and more difficult to carve.
Building a canopy for your backyard can help you create more useable space for outdoor activities. This is just the type of project you can complete within a 24-hour period. You can complete much of the work yourself, if you know how to sew. Otherwise, you must assign the canopy sewing tasks to someone else. By the time the weekend rolls around, you’ll have a new spot in the yard to kick back and relax, fully shielded from the sun.
