JetSetterJoe.com

iPhone showing PDF content loaded using FileMark Maker

Okay, well maybe a I won’t start posting a new iPhone travel tip every week but this is a good one. The iPhone comes with the ability to view PDF documents but only as email attachments. For our upcoming Japan trip I wanted a way to access reference materials on the iPhone without having to go online and pay exorbitant data roaming charges. The solution is a MacOS X app called FileMark Maker which allows you to store PDF files as offline Safari web pages and add them to your bookmarks on your Mac. The next time you sync your iPhone, your files will be transferred to the phone and added to the bookmarks directory on the phone. It works pretty well even if the interface is kind of awkward for converting multiple files. (You must drag the files one by one and drop them on the FileMark application.) I am using this tool to store web content like train schedules, maps and directions from sites like japan-guide.com so I can review it from the plane and on-the-go without having to go online. Check it out!

A couple of weeks back I blogged about Garmin’s Project Bobcat trip planning software for the Mac. In that post I mentioned how the latest obligatory software update from Garmin broke my BlueChart maps. I was really bummed since I currently do not have any Windows PCs (and was hoping to keep it that way).

Last week I opened Project Bobcat again and it immediately proceeded to download the latest update. After installing the update, my BlueChart maps seem to work again. Given the short time between updates I wonder if a developer checked in some bad code or if a previous version was mistakenly uploaded to the server and tagged as the latest stable version.

As a software developer, I know this kind of thing happens and can taint an otherwise perfectly fine piece of software so I wanted to set the record straight. This is always a concern when you release beta software for wide distribution no matter how many warnings you publish to remind people this just a beta version. (After all, look at what perception has done for Windows Vista.) I still like the user interface of Project Bobcat very much and hope that Garmin keeps developing such products for the Mac.

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As I wrote in my posts about our campervan trip through Europe, one of the biggest challenges we had was lack of route planning support for Garmin products on the Mac. Running MapSource with VirtualPC worked okay but the lack of USB support meant that uploads were painfully slow and still the maps did not seem to upload correctly as on-the-fly route calculation did not seem to work. Despite this, the VirtualPC bandaid got us through a big chunk of Western Europe without major incident.

A couple of years back I was talking to legendary adventure rider Helge Pedersen during a Morton’s BMW event in Fredericksburg, VA about the dificulties of interfacing Garmin products with the Mac. Helge pointed out that Garmin would soon be rolling out Mac software. It took a while but the Mac software from Garmin has started to trickle out slowly.

Recently, my Sony VAIO died (another long story) and I was back to using a Mac almost exclusively. I tried Garmin’s MapInstall to download my maps into my GPSMAP 276C and it worked okay but I beamoned the fact that I could not do any route planning on the computer (a task made much easier with a full keyboard and larger screen).

Some time later I became aware of Garmin’s Project BobCat, which is billed as a way to “search for points of interest (POIs), create and organize waypoints, routes and tracks, and easily send them to your Garmin GPS.” The product is still in Beta but I downloaded it and used it to plan a route for a short fishing trip. I was expecting it to be somewhat more limited than MapSource but found that it provided the same capability with a much improved interface. I had a couple of near hang-ups but it seemed pretty stable for a Beta.

All is good, right? Eh! Wrong… Because the software is in Beta phase, it forces you to download and install any available updates so during the 4th of July weekend I was forced to upgrade to version 2.0.0.6. The upgrade completely broke my BlueChart Americas capability. BobCat will crash whenever I try to scroll through the map with a lot of detail turned on, zoom in too far or pretty much do anything I really need to plan a route. What’s worse is that I cannot even seem to use MapManager anymore to re-convert and re-install the maps.

So, is Project BobCat the much-awaited solution for trip planning with Garmin product’s on the Mac? I’ll reserve my judgement for after I get my BlueChart working again.

A while back I blogged about the DSe Hybrid yacht, a cruising motor-boat that used electric motors coupled with a pair of small diesel generators and a bank of batteries and solar panel array. The boat could steam along under diesel or electric power alone and provide power indefinitely for living “on the hook”.

If you don’t have a need for a large cruising motor yacht but still want to feel like your doing your part for the environment – not to mention save a bundle on gas – the Scout 145 Hybrid has just hit the market. The small skiff uses a 20 hp outboard to run at planning speeds but it also has a pair of Lenco Marine 36-volt Troll’n Tab electric motors fed by a bank of three 30 Amp deep cycle batteries. The boat can reportedly scoot along at displacement speeds for up to 8 hours on a full charge and features joy stick steering for the electric drives which could greatly reduce stress during docking.

I guess any small sport fishing boat fitted with Troll’n Tabs would technically be a hybrid; however, this is the first time that such a boat has been sold as a package. Additionally, the Lenco system seems a lot more practical for use as auxiliary propulsion. With gas prices expected to continue to rise and environmental concerns looming large in the horizon, let’s hope that boat manufacturers come up with more innovative ideas like this that could keep boat enthusiast like us on the water while helping preserve out fragile and valuable resources.

Okay, so I’ve blog-fading… (Is there such a thing?) Part of this is because, while I’ve been dreaming up ways to reinvent this blog and make it more interesting, I have been busy with work, family and other pursuits. However, I haven’t seen a lot of gear lately that has motivated me to write about it until now.

Outside magazine just published its 2008 Summer Buyers Guide and named the Kelty Binto Bar among its 10 best goods for road trips. This ingenious portable kitchen features multiple color-coded storage bins, an FDA approved food preparation surface, a collapsible windscreen and multiple pockets for utensils. In other words, everything but the kitchen sink…

For those of us with nomadic spirits there is something alluring about little homes on wheels. Just knowing that you can pick-up and leave in search of adventure at any time is extremely appealing; however, the styling of most mobile homes leaves a lot to be desired. When I visited Unicat in Germany, I was extremely impressed with the styling and finish of the living quarters of their expedition trucks and thought that it would be extremely cool to have something like that mounted on a trailer chassis. Even if this setup wouldn’t have the go-anywhere capability of the all-terrain truck-mounted version, it would make an awesome vacation home that could still be moved around from time to time for a change of scenery.

Enter the MiniHome. This modular compact dwelling qualifies as a travel trailer and is completely self-contained so it can move around (even though at 14,000 lbs you need a rather big truck to tow it). The home also has a modern styling that is sure to please any architecture buff and practical functionality to impress any gadget lover. But this home isn’t just a prettied up mobile home. The MiniHome is designed for extreme environments such as the Canadian artic and is environmentally friendly, designed for off-grid operation using energy-efficient 12 Volt appliances, solar panels and propane gas as well as constructed from 100% “green” materials.

Reading through the FAQs on the site, there do appear to be some hurdles for potential MiniHome inhabitants. Several of the questions pertain to zoning laws and the need for a foundation, etc. The designer’s answer to zoning issues seems to be mostly to not worry about it unless your neighbor complains. This seems like little reassurance for someone looking to buy a $119,000 mobile home that they may never be able to use. Despite this, the MiniHome seems like an excellent idea for a temporary home without the stigma of traditional mobile homes. I would certainly not mind having one as a modern and cozy retreat that can move from mountains to the sea to wherever else I may want to roam.

Since 2005 a group of engineers from Googleâ„¢ Labs has been working to create a tool for planning trips using mass transit as a 20% project. Recently, Googleâ„¢ announced on their Lat Long Blog that Googleâ„¢ Transit had graduated from the Labs. This means that, while the main transit page is still available, users who search for directions in areas covered by the transit database will have the option to get transit directions instead of the default driving directions.

Currently, Googleâ„¢ transit supports a growing list of cities in the US as well as Japan and China. This looks like a great tool for travelers who often must rely on mass transit to get from point A to point B. It may also help us Americans, who are used to driving everywhere, to consider alternative forms of transportation when available thus helping ease congestion and pollution.