The Car & When Technology Works
See below for some photos of the car taken at a secret location Howth. (I didn't realise how authentically Irish the setting was until I reviewed the photos this morning.)
Yesterday (as well as being L's birthday) was our first drive with the sat nav. Without overstating it, I can't think of a recent technology other than the internet that has so instantaneously improved our lives!
Picture me driving furiously trying to remember that when I turn right I give way and picture Laura, a crazed look about her, with two map books and a sextant, trying to work out why the straight road on the map just forked into two - and then you'll see that our quiet Sunday drives were of the tragi-commedy/horror genre.
Compare and contrast: Yesterday I installed the unit into our suction-cup holder, selected "Malahide" (we went there first) from the list of cities, then hit the big "Go". In about 8 seconds it had plotted route, including navigating me through several large motorway interchange roundabouts. We decided to detour at Swords, so hit "Stop" and we tootled around making snarky comments about what a back water it was, then we selected "Malahide" again and our route was recalcuated, and off we went.
I had pre-saved "Home" as a special destination - so I selected this on our return journey. There were GAA games on a Croke Park, so I detoured off the suggested route to avoid the area. As you fail to make the suggested turn, it immediately recalculates the new course. Being able to see the map as you drive means you can make your own way in a relative saftey. Once I was condifent I had cleared the area, I followed the new route home. It delivered us with clinical accuracy to the drive way of our parking building, then proclaimed the job done - "You have reached your destination". Laura had remained relaxed and composed, even a little sleepy.
Other great things - it has maps for all the EU, and it's portable enough to carry with you and use as a pedestrian: hello European city-break heaven.
The car:
Yesterday (as well as being L's birthday) was our first drive with the sat nav. Without overstating it, I can't think of a recent technology other than the internet that has so instantaneously improved our lives!
Picture me driving furiously trying to remember that when I turn right I give way and picture Laura, a crazed look about her, with two map books and a sextant, trying to work out why the straight road on the map just forked into two - and then you'll see that our quiet Sunday drives were of the tragi-commedy/horror genre.
Compare and contrast: Yesterday I installed the unit into our suction-cup holder, selected "Malahide" (we went there first) from the list of cities, then hit the big "Go". In about 8 seconds it had plotted route, including navigating me through several large motorway interchange roundabouts. We decided to detour at Swords, so hit "Stop" and we tootled around making snarky comments about what a back water it was, then we selected "Malahide" again and our route was recalcuated, and off we went.
I had pre-saved "Home" as a special destination - so I selected this on our return journey. There were GAA games on a Croke Park, so I detoured off the suggested route to avoid the area. As you fail to make the suggested turn, it immediately recalculates the new course. Being able to see the map as you drive means you can make your own way in a relative saftey. Once I was condifent I had cleared the area, I followed the new route home. It delivered us with clinical accuracy to the drive way of our parking building, then proclaimed the job done - "You have reached your destination". Laura had remained relaxed and composed, even a little sleepy.
Other great things - it has maps for all the EU, and it's portable enough to carry with you and use as a pedestrian: hello European city-break heaven.
The car:
The new stereo and iPod dock I installed (RIP internal glove box light - oops). I'll move the cable into the glove box so the iPod is always out of site.
Something the American Military did right: God bless GPS
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