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March 08, 2006
Anti Social SatNav
I have been using my in-car SatNav system for six months now and I am still a bit uneasy about trusting it completely and throwing my paper maps away,
Just as mobile phones mean no one can be bothered to remember phone numbers anymore, so Satnav could mean we eventually surrender our sense of direction to these boxes of gadgetry. In other words, if you throw away your A-Z and come to rely too much on satellite navigation, you'll be well and truly lost without it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4124760.stm
Another downside to these systems appears to be the dissemination of what used to be local knowledge for local people. Bristol airport is only a few miles from our house and we always take a local short cut through a local village which saves us a few minutes, but it now appears that everyone knows about "our" shourtcut.
Satellite navigation systems are being blamed for directing thousands of cars through a quiet Somerset village. Residents in Barrow Gurney claim 10,000 vehicles a day are going through the centre to get to Bristol Airport.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/4781350.stm
Perhaps SatNav providers will soon be offering some new options on their systems:
Which route would you like to take?
- Shortest
- Quickest
- Straightest
- Scenic
- Well Lit
- Avoiding Roundabouts
- Least recommended by SatNav Systems
- Tagged on delicious
- Slowest (useful for dates)
- Secret (only available to premium subscribers)
March 8, 2006 in Usability | Permalink
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