Category : Material

Bad news from Apple !

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In an October post 2009, I headlined “Good news from Apple” mentioning the price drop of the Mac Mini which had just been renewed. This time it’s quite the opposite. !

In the media frenzy surrounding the arrival of the iPad, iPhone 4 and iOS4, the presentation of the Mac Mini unibody 2010 seems to be (nearly) unnoticed… except for the purse. Read more …

iPad , a Chartplotter Killer ?

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ipad-inavxWith iPad 3G finally in hands, featured iNavX and the (beta) version AyeTides XL in testing, I'm going to give you my first impression, previously to perform an extended test at sea.

Regardless of the fact that the iPad can be used for many other things than shipping, I am now totally convinced of its utility on board, Here are the reasons. Read more …

The question of choice

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A reoccurring question comes regularly by email from my visitors : which computer equipment to choose for yachting ? It is a fact that, faced with the spectacular growth in equipment available to recreational sailors, it becomes very difficult to form an opinion. By giving partial answers to one and the other, and often unsatisfactory, I ended up realizing the facts. Actually, the choice of a navigation system is essentially based on the answer to a question : for what need ?

I therefore tried to define these needs and put an appropriate solution in front of each person.. This may seem a little simplistic, but above all it has the merit of simplifying things. I took the opportunity to calculate the current budget for each of the solutions in order to highlight a criterion that seems fundamental to me : the Need/Coast ratio. Let's go… Read more …

iPad : new support for iNavX ?

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Can not join the chorus of comments about’iPad that Apple presented yesterday. As far as we are concerned, for us yachtsmen, this new touch pad does not seem to represent anything other than an iPod Touch bigger screen, and yet that is its whole interest !

The model we are interested with, equipped with the WiFi and the 3G, and with a Integrated GPS, should be available in France in June. However, We will have to wait until this time to know the operators' offers, Knowing that unlimited 3G connection is included in some iPhone plans, but not in all, how much will it cost ? Read more …

Install the GPS BU-353 with GPSNavX/MacENC

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bu-353

The BU-353 GPS connected to the MacBook via USB

You have to follow the steps below, in order :

1) Quit GPSNavX or MacENC before proceed.
2) Install the Prolific PL2303 driver.
http://www.francis-fustier.fr/media/Telecharge/PL2303_1.2.1.sit
3) Connect the BU-353 USB GPS antenna to a USB port on your Mac.
4) Launch GPSNavX or MacENC, select the menu "GPS > Connect ". Open the "Settings" drawer, then select :
– Type : "SiRF USB"
– Port : "usbserial"
– Rate : " 4800 ”

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