Archive

Archive for the ‘mobileaction’ Category

i-gotU GT-120 USB GPS Travel Logger Review

August 27th, 2009

What do you get when you put GPS technology and social networking together? The answer is the i-gotU GT-120 USB GPS Travel Logger. Recently I was given an opportunity to test this handy little gadget, and it just so happens that I will be travelling to China and South Korea to visit my friend. Here at gpselite.com, I don’t normally review anything outside of GPS navigations for automobiles, but this particular device piqued my interest. Not only does this handy gadget automatically tracks your location via GPS, but also allows you to share your travels with friends and family through social networking sites such as A-Trip or Flickr. How cool is that?

Without further ado, let’s get to the meat of my review on the i-gotU GT-120 USB GPS Travel Logger from Mobile Action.

Design

galery_120_01

Oftentimes simple design offers better usability, and aesthetically speaking, this gadget accomplishes that easily. The i-gotU GT-120 size is no bigger than typical box of matches with one circular button in the middle to power the device on, and an outlet port that will let you connect to PC. Moreover, it comes with a silicone case that protects the gadget and weighs only 20 grams; a very lightweight indeed!

Features
galery_120_02a
The ability to track and log your location is one thing, but allows you to share your trips with the world defines this gadget as next “social networking gadget”. The i-gotU GT-120 is feature rich given its size. I was able to easily import traveling logs from the device and display them on 3D Google Maps and Google Earth. Also don’t let a rainy day discourage you from using this little handy gadget, because it is water-resistant. The entire duration of my trip consisted of rainy and cloudy days, but this gadget still performed exceptionally. I think perhaps the best feature is the ability to geotag your photos from the trip. Just upload your photos and travel data to the software that comes with the device, and it will accurately tag your pictures based on timestamps. You can then upload these photos to your favorite sites such as A-Trip or Flickr or Picasa. If you happen to travel a lot, you can even start your own travel blog or write amazing photo essays!

Ease of Use

The i-gotU GT-120 is very easy to operate. You’ve got 2 LED buttons indicating what’s going on with the device. If the red LED is on, that means the device is charging which I advise you to do when using it for the first time. By pressing the circular button down for about 1.5 seconds, the logger will turn on. How do you know? When you see the blue LED light up. You are now ready for the next step. Once the device has been turned on, you have to sync it with the satellite. When the device has been synched, both of the LED will blink at the same time. However, I had a little trouble synching it with satellite maybe because I was inside of a building or perhaps it was due to cloudy weather. Other than that, once it was synched properly, I was ready to use it.

Reliability

The i-gotU GT-120 was very accurate in tracking and logging my location. Once I arrived in Shanghai, China, I immediately turned it on and began to use it. When I flew to Beijing then over to Seoul, South Korea, its tracking was precise as shown on the pictures below. Moreover, the battery life was superb and I did not have to charge it frequently during my entire travel.

trip1a
trip2a
trip3a
trip4a

Overall

Whether you plan to travel a lot or already a travel warrior, the i-gotU GT-120 is a gadget to consider on your next trip. Its simple and small design allows you to take it anywhere.
The i-gotU GT-120’s software will help you share your trips with friends and family via social networking sites, and also incredibly easy to operate. All in all, I was satisfied with the i-gotU GT-120 USB GPS Travel Logger. The only problem I had was using the software for the first time. The learning curve can be steep for those who expect the software to be very user friendly. I also had issue with the software constantly crashing when I tried to import data from the logger. But that problem went away as soon as I updated to the latest software. If you are interested, the i-gotU GT-120 USB GPS Travel Logger retails for around $69.99.

Pros

  • Simple to operate
  • Small in design
  • Water resitant
  • Accurate and reliable
  • Battery life
  • Social networking features

Cons

  • Synching with satellite
  • Software learning curve

mobileaction