DroidPutter is an open-source tool that enables Android phones to run Cardputer apps on an ESP32-S3 microcontroller via USB OTG. Apps are built on demand from GitHub, flashed wirelessly from the phone, and mirrored to the phone's display while using the phone's keyboard, GPS, and screen as the Cardputer's interface.
A software developer in the 1990s built a real-time GPS moving map display on a 25MHz 486-SX processor with minimal floating-point math, using the Hipparchus library's integer-based algorithms. The system was significantly faster than consumer GPS devices that emerged years later, but the developer lost access to the project when the client faced financial difficulties.
The Global Positioning System uses satellites orbiting Earth to help ships, airplanes, cars, and hikers determine their location with high accuracy. GPS works by measuring distances from a receiver to multiple satellites, with three or more distance measurements allowing the system to pinpoint a precise position through triangulation.
Google Maps on Android Auto is rolling out a persistent speedometer feature that displays speed, speed limits, traffic signals, and stop signs even without a destination set. The feature addresses user confusion after reports of the speedometer disappearing, which occurred because it previously only showed when navigation was active. This brings Android Auto's Google Maps in line with Apple CarPlay, which has had the speedometer for two years.
Google has certified a new smartwatch model (G8BL6) with the FCC, featuring GPS, Android operating system, and a metal frame. The device appeared in leaked Pixel 11 adverts alongside the Pixel Watch 5 before being removed, though Google has made no official announcement about the product.
Apple removed GLONASS satellite positioning support from the Apple Watch Ultra 4, which now supports GPS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou instead. The change may improve positioning accuracy, reduce processing demands, and extend battery life, since GLONASS's single-frequency L1 signal is less effective on dual-frequency devices. The Apple Watch Series 12 retains GLONASS support.