Satmap announces imminent online route-planning facility and it looks good.
Satmap is
about to launch the beta of an on-line route planner, which will allow
you to plan and store your routes using the Satmap web site.
We've been using Satmap's excellent Active 10 unit - review update soon
- and its one weakness is that while you can plan routes on the unit
itself, it would be nice to have a larger screen to give perspective
and context. The new planner, which we've seen in action below -
apologies for the blurry pic - does just that.
It works in a similar way to the OM Routes System, in that you can plan
your route simply by clicking on an online map before saving and
generating a data file, which you then download to your Active 10. It
works the other way as well and you'll be able to upload routes and
tracks created on your unit and store them on the Satmap server.
From the demo we saw, it looks excellent - easy to use and with some
very nice touches.
Firmware Upgrade Imminent
In addition, there's another software update for the unit itself due
out soon. Since we reviewed the unit originally, there have been two
firmware upgrades which have significantly improved the way it works.
In particular, battery life is now much better, non-active routes can
be hidden to reduce on-screen clutter and the location dot showing
where you are is now blue rather than red, so it doesn't disappear
if you cross your own snail trail.
The new firmware update should address our final remaining bugbear, the
way the unit can accidentally power off when carried in a pack pocket.
The off function is going to get a confirmation stage, so you can't
switch it off accidentally and ruin your track.
More on Satmap once the upgrade's out, when we'll update our original
review and, hopefully, run a back to back test with the new Garmin unit
running Ordnance Survey mapping.
More Satmap information at
www.satmap.com
