This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Gadget • Just because you're out of cell phone range doesn't mean you have to stop texting. DeLorme's Earthmate PN-60w SE, a handheld GPS device equipped with satellite communication, can keep you in touch even in remote areas. Packaged with the SPOT Satellite Communicator, the device can send text messages to your friends' cell phones and e-mail addresses and to networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Plus, it allows your friends to track your progress via Google's online maps. The waterproof GPS device includes 16 gigabytes of memory and map software with over 210,000 new and updated roads in the United States and Canada and 11,000 U.S. national forest trails. The PN-60w SE model with the SPOT Satellite Communicator costs about $700. An annual subscription for the basic SPOT service plan is about $100.
Gannett News Service